“The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Love”

“Digging Deeper”
An opportunity for you to continue your study of God’s Word throughout the week…

MONDAY
“The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Love”

1 John 5:1-3
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

These verses say the opposite of what is expected. We might anticipate John to say this: “We prove that we LOVE GOD by loving others and obeying His commandments.” Instead John says: “We LOVE OTHERS by loving God and carrying out His commandments.” In other words, we cannot authentically and consistently love the people around us unless we actively love God.

How do we love God? In order to love God, we must obey His commandments. In order to love others, we must love God. John emphasizes that loving God is a matter of OBEDIENCE not just EMOTION.

Jesus also emphasized this when He commissioned His disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to OBSERVE all that I have commanded you.” It is not enough to just know what Christ taught… we must live it.

THOUGHT: Obedience to the Word of God IS LOVE.