1 John 3:16-24 (NRSV)
Read 1 John 3:16-24 on biblegateway.com
Verse 16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Verse 17How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Verse 18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. Verse 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
Verse 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Verse 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; Verse 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
Verse 23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Verse 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Devotion
You see John 3:16 everywhere. On bumper stickers, on signs at football games, it’s the “gospel in a nutshell.” But I John 3:16 is also a great verse: “We know love by this, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us – and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” John reminds us that faith is more than just knowledge, but knowledge lived out.
Jesus loved us not just in words, but by laying down his life for us. Likewise, we are to lay our lives down for each other. What does that mean? For some of us, we may have opportunity to literally “lay down our lives” for someone. But for most of us, laying down our lives means simply caring for others and putting their needs before our own.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, that you loved me enough to lay down your life for me. Help me in my everyday life to care for others with the same kind of love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.