For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NLT
Welcome to the 8th devotional recap of the year. This week we learnt how that love is expressed in sacrifice, kindness, forgiveness, hope and in truth.
On Monday, we learnt that love is sacrificial. This is seen in the demonstration of God’s love for us by giving up His Son to die for our sins. Jesus gave up His right and privileges as deity and humbled Himself to be a man and die like a criminal on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8). He paid the ultimate price with His life for a debt that He did not owe. This must also be our definition of love (1 John 3:16).
On Tuesday, we learnt that kindness is an evidence of love. Jesus is our greatest example of love, and He showed love in kindness. As believers, we cannot claim to love someone and not be kind to them. In fact, kindness is a fruit of our born-again spirit (Galatians 5:22). We are therefore compelled to be kind to others.
On Wednesday, we learnt about forgiveness in love. This is a core part of expressing love, as God in Christ Jesus commended His love towards us by forgiving us. Since we have received forgiveness, it is our responsibility to forgive those who offend us as well (Colossians 3:13). When we learn to forgive those who hurt us, we inevitably do away with anger, strife, bitterness and rage that come with being unforgiven (Ephesians 4:31-32).
On Thursday, we looked at hope in love, and how we should apply it in our relationships with others. Nowadays, people are quick to give up on people and relationships, so they cut them off. As believers, we should be willing to extend the grace we have received to others. It is vital that we are good stewards of relationships because we are in the business of souls. Discern when the devil is at work, and take your stand with the word concerning the relationship (1 Corinthians 13:7)
On Friday, we concluded by learning that love is expressed in truth. This means that love will always speak the truth, regardless of public opinion. For example, it is true that those who do not believe the gospel will perish, love will ensure that unbelievers hear the gospel regardless of the opposition against the truth (John 3:16)
In conclusion, we see that the love of God is demonstrated in Christ is evidenced in the fact that He kindly gave His Son sacrificially so that we might have forgiveness of sins. He did not give up on us, even when we were undeserving. This must be our attitude to others.
Bible Reading Plan: Exodus 17-19