How Dwelleth the Love of God in You?

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth”

  1 John 3:16-18

According to John’s teaching in these verses, Love is essentially self-giving. We are to love one another. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and has demonstrated His love by sending His son to die for us. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1John 4:11). It is our call then, to “lay down our lives for the brethren”. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Our life is the greatest, most treasured thing we have. To lay down our life for others is the greatest gift we can give. Christ lay down His life for us to express His great love, so also should be our expression of love. This is what is required of us–to “deny ourselves”, that is to turn away for the idolatry of self-centeredness, “take up our cross”, the cost of obedience, and follow him (Matt. 16:24).

John is not asking for the “ultimate sacrifice” for most of us, although that is required of some. He is requiring us to see the needs of others of our brethren and giving to his needs, not out of our abundance, but out of our life. We are to open our compassion and demonstrate the love of God to him. If not“how dwelleth the love of God” in us (v.17). God intends to love our brother, or sister who is in need through us. So open up your “bowels of compassion” and deny yourself so as to let God love them through you. Thus, His harsh rebuke, “let us not love in word (just something we say), neither in tongue (just talk); but in deed (actions) and truth (true love)” (v.18).

We are to “let nothing be done through strife (selfish ambition) or vain glory (empty pride), but in lowliness of mind (humility)” let each of us esteem others as better than ourselves (Phil. 3:2).

The lack of humility because of selfish ambition and empty pride, will certainly cause us to regard the stuff of our life to be “mine” and therefore shut up our bowls of compassion and fail to lay down our life and its stuff for the brethren. Consider the cost of the love given us by Christ and remember that true love will also cost us. But so is love. It is self-giving.

The focus of 1 John 3 in the Scriptures above is how we are to love the brethren, brothers and sisters in Christ, the household of faith. But what about the many outside the household of faith?

For “as much as lieth in you” and “If it be possible” (Romans 12:18), may be the qualifying principle for ministry and outreach to others, who are not “brethren,” or believers. Jesus did not feed, nor heal, nor deliver everyone who had need. He once turned away from a crowd to go to other places of need. However, the “Good Samaritan” is the example of the Christian’s response to one’s neighbor, the need which God puts before you along the way of daily living.