1 John Series – Episode 8 Love in Action – The Family Resemblance

In Episode 8, we explore 1 John 3:11–24 and discover that God's love is never merely an idea—it is meant to be lived out in our everyday relationships. We examine John's contrast between Cain and Christ, the practical nature of Christian love, the challenges of loving difficult people, and the confidence we can have before God as we walk in obedience. This episode encourages us to reflect the Father's love through acts of kindness, forgiveness, generosity, and grace, allowing others to see Christ through the way we love.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to episode eight of our journey through the first epistle of John. Thank you for joining me again as we continue exploring this wonderful letter together. In our last episode, John invited us to stop and marvel at the Father's love. We discovered that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been adopted into God's family. We are no longer simply forgiven sinners, we are beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. That truth changes our identity. But in this episode John shows us that our identity must also change the way we live. You could almost summarize today's passage in one sentence. God's love is never merely something we receive, it is something we are called to demonstrate. The evidence that we belong to God's family is not simply that we speak about love, it is that we live it. John reminds us that love is not an abstract idea. It is practical, visible, costly, sometimes difficult, but it is always the defining characteristic of those who belong to Christ. John begins by reminding his readers this is the message you heard from the beginning, we should love one another. The Greek word for love is once again agape. Throughout this letter John consistently uses this word because it describes the very nature of God's love. This is not simply affection, it is not merely emotion, nor is it love based upon whether someone deserves it. Agape is a deliberate commitment to seek another person's good. It is the love that God has shown us in Christ. And now John says it is to become the pattern of our own lives. Notice that John calls this the message from the beginning. This wasn't a new idea. Jesus had taught it repeatedly. In John's Gospel Jesus said A new command I give you, love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another. The standard isn't simply loving people as we love ourselves, the standard is loving people as Christ has loved us. That raises the bar enormously. John then takes us back to one of the earliest stories in the Bible, Cain and Abel. Most people remember that Cain murdered his brother, but John asks a deeper question why? He says Cain's actions flowed from the condition of his heart, jealousy, resentment, pride, bitterness, those attitudes eventually produce destructive actions. I've often found that relationships rarely break down because of one single event. Usually something has been growing beneath the surface for quite some time, an offense that was never dealt with, a disappointment that became resentment, a criticism that became bitterness, John reminds us that our outward actions often reveal what has already taken root in our hearts. That's why Jesus spoke so much about the condition of the heart. Love begins there, but so does hatred. John then makes one of the most practical statements in his letter. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need, but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Then he adds, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. I think these are some of the most challenging words John writes. It's relatively easy to talk about love. It's much harder to demonstrate it. John reminds us that God's love always moves towards people. It feeds, it serves, it gives, it listens, it encourages, it forgives, it sacrifices. When we look at the life of Jesus, his love was always practical. He touched lepers, he fed hungry crowds, he welcomed children, he comforted grieving families, he restored those who had failed. Ultimately, he laid down his own life for us. Love wasn't simply something Jesus taught, it was something he lived. John says the same should be true for us. As I reflect on these verses, I don't think John is asking us to do extraordinary things every day. More often than not, love is expressed in ordinary ways, taking time to listen when someone is hurting, being patient when another person is struggling, speaking kindly instead of critically, choosing forgiveness rather than holding on to resentment, helping someone in practical need, making time for an elderly neighbour, visiting someone who is lonely, supporting a friend through illness, being fully present with your spouse or your children after a long day. Sometimes we imagine that loving others requires dramatic acts of sacrifice. Often it simply requires paying attention. Love notices people. Love makes room for people. Love is willing to be interrupted. Over many years of ministry, I've become convinced that some of the most significant moments happen in ordinary conversations a cup of coffee, a hospital visit, a phone call, a quiet prayer, a simple act of kindness. These may seem insignificant at the time, but they often become the very ways God's love is experienced by another person. Of course, if we're honest, loving people isn't always easy. Some people are difficult, some disappoint us, some misunderstand us, some hurt us deeply. Others simply see the world very differently from us. Even within the church, relationships can become strained. Differences of personality, differences of opinion, differences in leadership style, different expectations. I've discovered that some of the deepest wounds we experience can come through relationships with people we genuinely love. John isn't pretending those realities don't exist. He's writing to believers who also experience conflict, rejection, and disappointment. Yet he continues calling them back to love. Not because people always deserve it, but because that is how Christ has loved us. I've often had to remind myself that every person I meet is someone for whom Christ died. That changes the way I try to respond. It doesn't mean we ignore wrongdoing, it doesn't mean we abandon wisdom or healthy boundaries, but it does mean we refuse to allow bitterness to become the controlling influence in our hearts. John then says something quite remarkable. This is how we know that we belong to the truth. Our love for others becomes one of the evidences that God's life is at work within us. John then continues, Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. This is a beautiful picture of confidence in our relationship with God. The word translated confidence is the Greek word parisia. It carries the idea of openness, freedom of speech, and the ability to approach someone without fear. John is describing a believer who is able to come before God honestly and freely, not arrogantly, not because they believe they have earned God's favor, but because there is no hidden rebellion or unresolved disobedience standing between them and the Father. When our hearts are clear before God, prayer becomes less guarded. We are not trying to hide, we are not avoiding his presence. We are able to approach him with the confidence of a child coming to a loving Father. John then says that we receive from him whatever we ask. This does not mean God has promised to give us everything we desire. Prayer is not a way of persuading God to serve our plans. The key is found in the words that follow, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. As we walk closely with God, our desires begin to change. The more we know the Father, the more we begin to want what he wants. Our prayers become shaped by his character, his purposes, his wisdom, his love. So John is not teaching that obedience earns answers to prayer. He is describing the confidence that grows within a life aligned with God. When we are living in fellowship with Him, seeking to obey Him and desiring to please Him, we begin praying from within that relationship. Our prayers become less centered on our own comfort and more centered on God's will. We ask for wisdom, for strength, for opportunities to serve, for grace to forgive, for courage to do what is right, for God's love to be revealed through us. Over the years I have found that some of the most powerful prayers are not always the most dramatic. They are often simple prayers prayed from a surrendered heart. Father, help me respond with grace. Give me wisdom in this situation. Show me how to love this person. Help me do what pleases you. Those prayers arise from relationship. They reflect a heart that wants to walk with God, not simply receive things from God. And that is the confidence John is describing, the confidence of knowing that we are welcomed by the Father, that He hears us, and that as we remain close to Him, our prayers increasingly come into harmony with His will. John reminds us that our confidence ultimately rests not in our own feelings, but in God's grace. When we come honestly before Him, we discover that His mercy is always greater than our failures. As we've seen throughout this letter, confession restores fellowship and grace restores confidence. John brings everything together with these words. This is his command to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. Notice how belief and love always belong together. Faith in Christ changes the way we treat people. If our theology never affects our relationships, then John would say we have missed something essential. One of the questions I often ask myself is this are the people closest to me experiencing more of Christ because they know me, not because I have all the answers, not because I'm always right, but because they experience greater patience, greater kindness, greater grace, greater humility. I think that's what spiritual maturity begins to look like. The longer we walk with Jesus, the more his love becomes visible in our relationships. As I look back over many years of following Christ, one lesson continues to stand out. People rarely remember our sermons word for word. They don't always remember our achievements, they don't remember every decision we've made, but they almost always remember how we made them feel, whether they felt heard, whether they felt valued, whether they experienced kindness, whether they experienced grace. I've become increasingly convinced that one of the greatest testimonies we can offer our world is simply to love people well. Not perfectly, none of us does that, but genuinely, patiently, consistently. That's how the love of Christ becomes visible. John leaves us with a beautiful reminder. God's love is not merely something to admire, it is something to receive, and once we have received it, it becomes something we are called to share. As children of our Heavenly Father, we are invited to reflect His character in every relationship, at home, at work, in the church, among friends, even towards those who are difficult to love. May God's love continue shaping your heart. May His Spirit help you, forgive quickly, serve generously, listen patiently, and love sacrificially, because when we do, the world catches a glimpse of our Heavenly Father.