I woke up and was drawn to this passage by the Holy Spirit within me.
1 John 3:16-19 NIV
[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. [19] This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.3.16-19.NIV
We should renew our minds daily to who we are in Christ and what we are here for, which is to love God and love people. This sums up everything. Why do we do this? So the kingdom of God is made known to people and so that God's will is done on Earth as it is in heaven. His will is "that none should perish, but all would come to repentance." He wants everyone to "believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ"(I. John 3:23 NIV) and be saved. His purpose is our purpose here on Earth. Cut and dry, the Church exists so that others will be saved and go to heaven too, which is carrying out Jesus' "Great Commission" in our lives.
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
[18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.28.18-20.NIV
Mark 16:15-16 NIV
[15] He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. [16] Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.16.15-16.NIV
The Church can dance all around this, but at the end of the day, we are here on Earth for God to carry out His will in our lives. That will is "preaching the gospel to all creation." That is our rock solid purpose. Anything we do should contribute to that purpose as we go about our everyday lives.
Colossians 3:17 NIV
[17] And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.17.NIV
So, the opening passage shows us how to love people. We "lay down our lives" for all people like Jesus did. Sincere, genuine love for people opens the door to share the gospel with them. Love in action shows them that we love and care about them. Love in action breaks through the hardest heart, the most resistant person. So, just like Jesus, laying down our lives by helping people, opens doors for them to be saved too. Loving people in "action and in truth" opens the door for Jesus to work in our lives by the Holy Spirit within us.
We show the "love of God" by having "pity on" or showing mercy to people. Helping people, serving people is laying down our lives for them just like Jesus did. Here's what it looks like in this passage:
[17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
These have to be the "good works that God prepared in advance for us to do," so that He can reach people through us.
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
[10] For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.10.NIV
This is what Jesus meant when He said:
Matthew 16:24-25 NIV
[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.16.24-25.NIV
Denying self, losing our lives, and laying down our lives for all people means the same thing. This is following Jesus. Live our lives for other people. Help anyone at any given time, show them we love them by our actions, like Jesus did. By doing so, we open the door to share the gospel with them by the Holy Spirit within us.
Love you all dear readers,
Jeffrey Post
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