23 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
23 lines
1.3 KiB
Markdown
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title = "1 John 3:11–18"
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date = "2024-08-10"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1John3.11-18)
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One of the greatest ways we make our God-given righteousness evident is the love we have for fellow believers.
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As it is a command Jesus gave while He was on earth, it makes sense for those who follow Him to carry it out.
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However, the inverse situation is also true: if we hate believers because of their righteous deeds, then righteousness is not in us.
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Cain's murder of Abel is given as the prime example.
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This example holds true for all of history, as those opposed to God have always opposed His people too.
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The Pharaoh of the Exodus, Ahab and Jezebel, and also Saul of Tarsus before his conversion.
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The love believers have for each other is so strong that it crowds out their love of self and the world.
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Seeing a brother in need should spur us to sacrifice our own wealth, comfort, or pleasure in order to meet that need because that needy brother is given higher priority than ourselves.
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Jesus's sacrifce on the cross is our ultimate example, and while we probably won't need to go to that extreme, the love we have for each other should be a pointer towards that event.
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Talk is cheap, but love lasts forever.
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* * *
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Let us grow in love so that the world may know that Your ways are right and good.
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