By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.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.Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
6 sermons cite this verse
… love our brethren that we are willing to lay down our lives for them. John again tells us by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. And the greatest example, of course, is the Lord Jesus, who gave himself willingly. And so must we, as the children of God, to give of ourselves to each other here in the body of But not only are we to love brothers and sisters and to do it as it says here in 107, in all patience, peacefulness, meekness, mercy, and kindness, we are to love our enemies. And turn with me back to Matthew's gospel, chapter 5, and look at verse 44 and 45. The Lord Jesus says this to his disciples, but I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he makes his son rise on the evil and the just and on the unjust. …
… ourselves as we look to the interests of others, Philippians chapter 2, verse 4, and lay down our lives for them, 1 John chapter 3, verses 16 through 18. Following the example of the one who, 1 John 3 and Philippians chapter 2 makes clear, emptied himself and gave his life for us. So this is what we're supposed to do for all of these people, for children, for their parents. So it's interesting. Do you know the reasons why people say they abort their babies? When you look at the data, and I want to be really careful not to oversimplify this and certainly not to assume that I know the exact reason going on in any woman or man's heart and mind when it comes to having an abortion, but simply looking at the feedback from those who have abortions, there seem to be two primary reasons. And here's how I would describe them. The first is love of self. And the second is lack of support in no particular order. And I would just say, notice neither of those is because someone thinks the baby in the womb is not a person. So we just mentioned that even science is clearly shown this is a living being. …
… It's not a trick question. You're living out first John 3.16. If you believe John 3.16, then you will be living first John 3.16, which is what? By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. You're like, that's amazing. Well, I would die for another Christian if it ever happened, if it ever pushed him. Don't worry, I got you, Pastor. I would die for it. Yeah, but will you live to help another Christian? Will you live to help people come to know him? because John Stott said it's not about the big, blazing, you know, martyrdom, giant act. It's 1,000 small acts every single day. It's like, how is this church doing what God's doing through this church? Through the faith-filled, regular generosity, unspectacular, unsexy, not some big, I don't need a plaque with my name on it. It's just the constant tithes and offerings of regular people believing in the vision, consistently giving, systematically over time. …
… Because that is not the model of great sacrificial love and sacrifice that Jesus gave to us. I love that earlier in this chapter, in 1 John 3.16, it says this. It explains the why. It says, this is how we've come to understand and experience love. Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers. And not just be out for ourselves. But we need to remind ourselves of his sacrifice. And sometimes we don't just lose our why, but we lose our who. Or the what. but most importantly the who and the people that God have placed into our lives as a gift. Galatians 5.13 says, For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Don't just say it's my time and my freedom and my way and my thing and my life. but through love serve one another. We all know that the attempt of selfishness can impact a relationship. …
… What he says just a few verses later, in verse 16, he says, by this we know love, he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? See what he's saying? He's saying, look, God's seed dwells in you. That means Jesus is inside of me. And so all these Jesus characteristics keep coming out. His seed, his DNA is in me. And that's why he's saying, so if he's in you, you're saying he's in you, yet you walk by your brothers who are in need, and you know you could help, but you just, you feel nothing, you do nothing, you just keep walking. He's like, really? How could the love of God abide in you? That should be a sign to you that you're like, wow, you're just staring at yourself still. Maybe you didn't see this, and maybe he never entered into you because you sure are a lot about yourself all the time. …
… he goes in verse 16, he says, By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. If anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Again, he's saying, look, if you've got the world's goods and you see someone in need and you close your heart, he goes, how could God's love abide in you? You see, something was supposed to happen that comes naturally. Man, no one had to beg me to give to the poor. There was something inside of me like, help me, help me. I want to give my money away. I am constantly searching for the right people to give the money to that are truly in need. I don't have to be begged to get rid of my sin. I don't have to be begged to get rid of my money. I don't have to be begged to come into the presence of God. …