Opening Prayer
God, help us to hear Your Word about love. Amen.
Text: First John 3:13–18
Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 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. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Devotion
“We know that we have passed from death to life.” Is there a better change? We belonged to death – that is over – now we belong to life. My heart greatly rejoices! Death is the worst evil; life is the highest good. Death is the most terrifying thing, which I hate and detest from deep within my soul; life the most beautiful, which my deepest desire longs for. And now I have passed from death to life: blessed change! We know that this is so, John says. He teaches us here that God wants us to be certain of our rebirth. Our heavenly Father wants us to be confident, to enjoy a life of love, and to become rich in works of love. But then we must show that we are children of life. Whoever is uncertain about this is weak and shaky, hanging on to the world, and risking life before the Lord.
But how do we know that we are born of God? Indeed, because we love the brethren. What is “life” other than love? That is what is poured out in the hearts of believers, and they love what God loves. He loves us so that His only-begotten Son died for us. But in laying down His life for us, He gave it to us, and whoever believes in Him receives it. Then we love everyone, but have good pleasure in the holy brethren and are one with them in God. The hearts of the regenerate are united in Christ’s love. If you have this brotherly attitude, then you are certainly a child of life. The natural man, dead in sin, can still love his own – as far as such can be called love – he can love his own physical and spiritual relatives and those like-minded with him, for this is to love himself. But to love all, to do good to his enemies with a willing heart, to pray for them and to bless them from the depths of his soul and to love God’s children, because they are God’s children, to rejoice in them because they love Jesus, this “loving the brethren” no one can do except those who are born of God.
If this love is begun in you, then practice it, so that it will grow, as well as your confidence and peace. If hatred and anger still show themselves in your soul, then overcome them with prayer and God’s Word, and Jesus’ body and blood, and by interceding for your enemies and doing good toward them. Your heavenly Father will help you do this. But when you feel an urge to do good, then do not put it off. Follow the promptings of love, deny apathetic flesh, and live the life of the Spirit. In this way you shall make certain your adoption as sons.
Closing Prayer
But we are such fools! We chatter on about knowledge, and where is love? We talk about understanding, but our hearts are cold. Woe to us, death shall rule everywhere! O God, rich in love, give us this most blessed thing of all: love. You gave us love in Your Son, give it to us in our heart, that we may practice it in our daily life and be assured by Your Spirit that we have passed from death to life. Amen.
Hymn
The most resplendent way
For those who would say, “Nay”
To worldly sin and blinding!
In Jesus’ footsteps finding,
Bright as a star is shining
To charity inclining.
Though I with splendid voice
And words of brilliant choice
Could speak, with angels’ keeping
While love were in me sleeping,
My faith were nothing other
Than babbling brooks of water.
O Jesus, to me grant
Your love to understand,
That all that I am doing
May be Your love reviewing,
That all my earthly story
May to Your love give glory.
Brorson: Den ypperligste Vei L 463:1.2.12 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Auf meinen lieben Gott (ELH 467); alternate hymn: Lord, Thee I love with all my heart ELH 406