ESOCS Devotional 14 December
TEXT: 1 JOHN 4:11-21
MEMORY VERSE: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20
In verse 11 of our text today, John addresses us as dear friends, and insists that since God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. John here applies to the Christian the example of God’s love toward man. He has given His love in order to deliver us from our problem of sin. The height of God’s love was the Incarnation and the Cross (1 John 3:1; Matt. 18:33; John 3:16; Rom. 8:32).
Love therefore begins with God, for God Himself is love. God loves the Son, but He also loves the world in spite of its sin. Therefore, He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice, which the Son lovingly made. On the basis of, the love of God, and of Christ for us, we can and must love. In Matt. 22:37-39, the Master declared love as the greatest and summary of all commandments. God wants us to extend this love to Him, to our neighbours, and even to our enemies (Matt. 5:44). Love is the first and highest of all Christian virtues, even greater than faith and hope (1 Cor. 13:13). It is the key test of Christian discipleship. The central nature of love is selflessness, even to the point of self-sacrifice.
The central command of John’s writing (v 19) is love to God, and love to one another. God Himself is love, and He has poured out His love on us, especially in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. We too must become channels of God’s love in whatever we say or do.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
CHALLENGES
- Study Matthew 22:36-40 alongside this lesson. Meditate deeply.
PRAYER POINT
More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee. Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Proverbs 12:17-28; 14:1-13; 1 John 5:1-13
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ESOCS Devotional 14 December
