John the apostle is known as the apostle of love. He writes about the love of God and loving one another over and over again in his books, and he shares endearingly as a spiritual father in his writings. For many days now we have been studying together about the love of God and His desire that we love others too. God indeed loves us, and our actions, not just our words, demonstrate whether we love others as God desires. Because many people doubt whether they are loved by God, John now gives us a way to be assured that we are following the truth. John wrote in First John chapter three and verse nineteen:
And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
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John has been sharing with us about how important it is to not only say we love others but to demonstrate it with our actions. In fact, what we do or do not do toward others either authenticates our speech or makes us a liar. If our actions do not match our words, then we are not living in the truth. However, if we genuinely take interest in others, help others, and actually do something for people, then we show that we really love them. It is then that we are walking in the truth. Our lives are consistent with our speech, and this consistency gives assurance within our hearts that we are in fellowship with God.
The best way for us to know whether we truly love God is to examine our love toward others. Do we put others before ourselves? Do we desire their advancement or only our own? When the opportunity arises for another person's promotion, are we happy for them, or jealous? When someone has or gets something we want, are we envious or delighted? If the other person's team wins, instead of ours, what happens then? Of course, so many other questions can be asked to determine whether we really do love others or are pretty much just interested in ourselves.
The love of God is pervasive. It penetrates our entire being if we let it. In other words, God loves everyone, and so will we. God desires everyone to come to know Him, and so will we. God is ready to forgive all who come to Him and receive His Son Jesus, and so will we. As Paul the apostle wrote of God in First Timothy chapter one and verse four:
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
God desires that every person be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth - others, and even us. Now if we walk in the truth of His love, we can be assured that He loves us. We must only be concerned about our love life – toward God and toward others. Our actions are convincing or convicting, and whichever they are, they reveal the true state of our hearts.
Next time we will share together about what happens when our hearts condemn us, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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