Read 1 John 4:7-12 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. Who does love come from?
2. How did God show His love for us?
3. What are we called to do in response to God’s love?
Reflect
Today’s passage reminds us how to fight the spiritual war we face in this world. John says the answer is love – the love God has for us and that He desires to demonstrate through us. Love is core to God’s being. He sent His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice on our behalf, choosing to take on the penalty for our sin and suffer in our place. This is a self-giving, self-sacrificing, active kind of love.
It's the love He’s shown us, and it’s the type of love He calls us to. Since we’re saved by grace, that ought to make us gracious. The world can’t physically see God, but they should be able to see Him in us, in our behavior, words, and tone.
Have you fully accepted the gift of Jesus’ love for you, as shown through His sacrifice on the cross? (If you want to talk with someone about it, let us know at tpcc.org/Jesus.) Do you reflect God’s self-giving, self-sacrificing, active love in your daily life? How could you do so today?
Respond
Pray through today’s reading, reflecting on the questions just posed. What do you think God is prompting you to do in response? Write it down, share it with a friend, and take a step to start making it happen.