Salvation Assurances 3

Chuckle: "What do you call a receptionist at a beauty salon? Answer: A hair-traffic controller!"

Quote: "It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. 'Look!' they say, 'how they love one another! Look how they are prepared to die for one another.' " --Tertullian

DO I SHOW LOVE FOR MY BROTHERS & SISTERS?

"If we love our brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life . . . Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions" (I John 3:14, 18 NLT).

Jesus said, "A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John. 13:34-35 NIV).

So far, we have seen that obeying God's commands (I John 1:3) and a strong desire not to sin (I John 3:6) are two indicators that we have eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ. Today, we will see another Christian trait that gives us one more proof that we know Christ as Savior and Lord: Love for my brothers and sisters?

Both our passages were written by the Apostle, John. He, and others of the twelve, had experienced the love of Jesus first hand and understood what it means to love one another as Jesus had loved him. This kind of love translates into actions toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. We go out of our way to show our love for one another. We are sensitive to one another's needs. Love is the evidence that people have been delivered from spiritual death to spiritual life. How are you doing so far?

Real love is much more than a warm and fuzzy feeling toward someone -- it is proven by our actions. Jesus tells us that the greatest love of all is the giving of oneself for the good of others. How can we give up our lives for others? By serving others unselfishly with no thought of receiving anything in return. This involves putting the desires of others ahead of our own. A good way to determine the extent of our love for others is to ask ourselves this question: "How generous am I with my money, my material possessions, and my time?"

"In a boiler room, it is impossible to look into the boiler to see how much water it contains. But running up beside it is a tiny glass tube that serves as a gauge. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands in the great boiler. When the tube is half full, the boiler is half full; if empty, so is the boiler. How do you know you love God? You believe you love him, but you want to know for sure. Look at the gauge. Your love for your brother and sister is the measure of your love for God."

How are you doing in obeying God’s commands; desiring not to sin; loving your brothers and sisters in Christ? “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13 NIV).

Love, Jerry & Dotse