Real Hope: Love and JusticeSýnishorn

True Love to Others

This passage in 1 John is extremely challenging. It sets the bar for how we ought to live out our faith, and be marked and seen as different in our world.

It shows us what love is in the sacrifice of Jesus for us. If we truly follow Him, we are to live truly sacrificial lives for the sake of others. How easy is it, however, to brush over the second part of these verses: true love for others involves sharing goods with those in need.

This should strike us deep as we consider our role as believers in leading the way of acting with love and justice in our world. It’s one thing to say, "be warm and filled" (James 2:15–16), but it’s another to provide food and clothing to those who are in need. This is how Jesus lived His life here on earth, and the life that He calls us to.

I don’t want to be a walking contradiction—someone who follows Jesus and His Word but doesn’t live it out. It would be so easy to stay safe and cozy in a Christian bubble, but we’re called to love and serve those around us sacrificially. Let this be a challenge to us all: sacrificial acts validate words spoken. 

Written by Sam Robinson

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