Search:
Commentaries Illustrations Blog

True Love is Easily Seen

Email this commentaryPrint this commentary

William Gladstone, in announcing the death of Princess Alice to the House of Commons, told a touching story. The little daughter of the Princess was seriously ill with diphtheria. The doctors told the princess not to kiss her little daughter and endanger her life by breat … More

Love

Our love for God is demonstrated by our loving the brethren (v.22). An example of this is found in I John 4:20-21. Love toward  God is hard to measure, however love toward the brethren is easily seen. This love is to be a “fervent” love which is real and not a pretense love.

Why should the Christian manifest this kind of love? The answer is because the believer has experienced the new birth through the Word of God which is an incorrup­tible seed that abides forever (v. 23). God has demonstrated His love and  His children are to love as He does. The Word of God is eternal (vv. 23-25). It will last forever but the things of this life are temporal and they will pass away. The eternal Word shows the love of God and that expression of love is part of the believer’s life.  See Mark 12:30,31.

Men’s hopes are dead hopes which are like cut flowers that bloom awhile and then they fade and die. The Christian’s hope is fresh and fruitful because it is a “living hope” (v. 3), purchased by “the living Christ” (v. 3) and promised in “the living Word” (v. 23). When Jesus comes again He will be the completion of this hope as we will be with Him throughout all eternity. This is what under stress and the circumstances of life helps us to set our hope fully on the grace of God, rather than on our self.

Application

Is God’s love being shown in my life? To believers? To unbelievers? What examples can I give as proof of this fact?

 

I Peter 1:22-25 (English Standard Version)

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »

Do you have any questions or thoughts about this?
Post your comment or question below.
*Screen Name:
Question or
comment:
* denotes required field

subscribe to family-times.net

© Family Times | About Us  |  Donate  |  Contact Us

Search for sermons by: Commentaries | Scripture search | Topics