What would you do if you saw your friend who clearly needed something and you had the ability to help them? Would your love for your friend cause you to do something about it? Would your love cause an action?
If you were outside in the cold with no jacket, wouldn’t it feel so nice if someone gave you a warm jacket to wear? If your child was hungry, wouldn’t you make them a sandwich or cook up a nice meal for them? Of course you would, and why? Because you love them, and when you love someone you will show it by your actions.
If a feeling for someone or something is really love it will manifest itself through some kind of action towards them. As I just showed you, love for your pets will cause you to take care of them; how much more then should we show our love to others who we care about?
1 John 3:14-18 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
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.
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?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
There are many different examples of love in the Bible, but we do not need to look any further than our Lord Jesus Christ to understand what love is.
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
That is exactly what Jesus did. He gave His life so that we could be saved. He saw our need for salvation, and filled it. He took the suffering upon Himself so that we wouldn’t have to. He took our heavy burdens, and made them light. He showed us how to love.
Jesus’ declaration of love for us was not just words, it was backed up by His deeds. People all the time say the words “I love you,” but do they really? Anyone can say those three words, but it is through an action that it is proven. John used the example of seeing a brother in need, saying, If you shut up your bowels of compassion, how can God’s love dwell inside of them? Are we not supposed to love others, just as Christ has loved us? Then prove it.
This was the question that Jesus asked Peter. Do you love me?
John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
Unlike some who only say the words, Peter’s life was a living example of his love for Jesus. His love for the Lord led him from city to city, preaching everywhere he went. When he was put into prison for preaching, upon his release Peter immediately went right back at it. When he was commanded to stop teaching in the name of Jesus, Peter answered, We ought to obey God rather than men. It was Jesus who had commanded him to preach, and there was no one who was going to tell him otherwise.
In one of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, he explained to them that while they might not have taken care of his needs when he was with them, the brethren from the church in Macedonia were filled with great love for him, and took care of whatever he was lacking. They saw his needs, and they filled it.
Love is so much more than a simple word. It is an action word. It is evident in the way you treat others. Are you filled with love? Show it to others!
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 