1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
What do most descriptions of love have in common? In today’s media, it is almost exclusively depicted as an individualistic emotion may be shared by two people. An example of this is Cheerleader, a song that’s been stuck in my head for the past month or so. (I would recommend Walk Off The Earth’s cover, see below). Our culture is obsessed with love, both it’s sexual meaning and the sense of security and belonging it brings. As the song Cheerleader points out, we want love on our terms and at our convenience. We want love that makes us feel good or helps us personally. But what does this passage teach about love? What is the love that takes us from death to life?
Surprisingly, it isn’t the romantic love of a husband and wife, but an active love for our brothers that is taught. This love is looking out for the brothers, not ourselves. This will become clear in the verses to come. I’ve asked about how my action are displaying Christ in me, how I share the hope that I have in the coming kingdom. This verse says that loving our brothers is how we can see the Spirit living in us and working through us. The word ‘abide’ used throughout this text can also be translated ‘remain’. So if we are not loving our brothers, the Spirit is not in us and we remain dead in sin. I asked on the first day what true love looks like and I think we need to keep this question in mind as we look at the second half of this chapter. What have we learned so far about love in verses 1-14? How does the idea of love shape how I practice righteousness?
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