How We are to Love as Believers: Gospel Today Devotional - 3rd May, 2022

The Lord has indeed been good to us. This is because the book of 1 John as it were has been filled with quite a number of lessons. His name alone be praised. Yesterday, we saw from our study how it is we are supposed to live as believers, that is, the very fact that we are to sacrifice our lives for the brethren even as God sacrificed himself for us. Glory to God.

Also, we saw how that hatred for a fellow brother according to scripture is the same as murder and that one who murders has not the life of God in him cause if he did, he wouldn't take the life of another, isn't it? These and many more were the lessons we learnt in yesterday's devotional. We are still in the book of 1 John particularly the third chapter and if you're just following us, we are currently going through a series in the book of 1 John. It is my prayer that you're blessed by the reason of this study. 

Today opens to us another opportunity to learn something very important from scripture and that is centered on love. If you noticed all through the lessons from chapter one till now, you would discover that one of the messages of this particular book of the Bible is love. It is true many of us claim to love but do we really love as we ought to? Let's see the passage of scripture below,

"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? [18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:17-18).

Isn't it true that there are people who are in a position to help but will never do that? This is not because they do not have but simply because they just do not want to help. Should we say then that they are not moved with compassion? Well, I cannot say cause for what reason they deny people help, I do not know. Should believers be found living this way too? Should we be in a position to help and refuse to help those who we can help? Would Christ act in that way? If we therefore claim to belong to him, shouldn't we act just like him?

If you claim to love a brother and maybe you profess to him severally that you love him but when it's time for you to prove your love, you refuse to, would we still say that you love him of a truth? If you shut your bowels of compassion from a brother in need, how dwells the love of God in you? If having the ability to help a brother and you refuse to help such a brother when he comes to you for help, can you say you love of a truth? You may want to take some time to think about this.

Dear believers, it is not just enough to say through words that you love a person. It must be seen in your actions too. You must love not just in words but in deed (actions) and in truth. While it is good to assure people of your love through the words you speak, you must also do well to show by your actions that what you say to them is true. Let it not be that the day a person you claim to love comes to you for help that you shut your bowels of compassion from him. If that becomes the case, how dwells the love of God in you? The Lord cause his word bear fruit in us. Amen.

Thought for the day: Dear believer, as much as you would like to tell people through your words that you love them, you must also ensure that the love you profess is seen in the things you do. You must not just love in words but also in deed and in truth.

Gospel Today is a comforting, exhorting, edifying and inspiring devotional published by the Delightsome Land Christian Ministry. For questions, enquiries/testimonies, please call/WhatsApp: 08174915361, 08053662272 or Email: [email protected].