It's a new month for us. This is a month I believe would be full of the blessings of God in our lives as we go through his word. May the month of May cause us to experience more of God. This month, we would still be considering the book of 1 John 3 as we still have some lessons to learn and two more chapters to go. Hallelujah.
In the previous lesson, we saw how it is that the children of God are identified. They are known by the fact that they practice righteousness just as their Father (God) is righteous. Hallelujah. It then means that anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God cause if he truly were of him, he would live just like him. Hallelujah. Also, another proof we saw from that text was that anyone who hates his brother cannot also be referred to as the child of God. This was the focus of our previous study in this series. Glory to God.
Today would reveal another important lesson to us. I believe that by divine providence, these lessons have been put together in scripture for us and we by the grace of God would give ourselves to learning that we may be blessed therein. Glory to God. Let's consider the passage of scripture below,
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. [14] We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. [15] Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. [16] 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. ( 1 John 3:13-16).
The apostle John begins with what we may refer to as a charge or an encouragement, that is, something that should perhaps make the believer stand firm in his belief. We may say it this way, that it is possible the world hates you. However, do not be surprised if they do. Why would believers be hated? It may perhaps be as a result of the fact that they are unwilling to conform to the world's system and if they hated Christ, they would also do the same to us. Glory to God.
While we are not to be surprised about the world hating on us as believers, we are to be encouraged in this, that we are living our lives for Christ. Praise God. In the next verse, he gives another important message which we may refer to as the proof of our passing from death to life. The proof that we have passed from death to life which may also mean that the proof that we have been saved and have experienced the light that salvation brings is that we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. It says then that whosoever hates his brother is a murderer and that no murderer has eternal life.
Isn't this serious? The fact that the scripture likens hatred for a fellow brother to murder. This means that hating a fellow according to scripture is the same as murder and it is true that anyone who has the mind to murder has not the life of God in him cause if he did, he wouldn't take the life of another. Finally, the love of God was demonstrated to us in this, that he laid down his life for us and if he did, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Does this mean that we have to die for one another? The scripture here doesn't imply death as the losing of life but that even as God laid down his life for us which depicts his sacrifice for us, we also ought to make sacrifices for one another as much as the Spirit of God enables us to. This is how we ought to live as believers. May the Lord bless his word in our hearts in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thought for the day: As God sacrificed for you, even so are you to sacrifice for your others as the Spirit of God permits and enables you to.
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].
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