1 John 3 (#2): Love is not just words and speech

1 John 3 (#2)
Love is not just words and speech

14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

18. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

23. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

24. The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

◇ John says that Jesus' new command is love. Loving one another is Jesus' command. If you have money and see someone in need but do not open your wallet, you do not have love (17). He emphasizes that love is not just words and speech but actions.

It's not just about love.

Becoming a Christian is not achieved through words and speech alone.

♧ God, help us to become Christians through our actions, not just words and speech. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth. Amen.