A
thought from today's study in 1 John
How can you be assured you are "of the truth?” You have compassion for other believers. How can
you say you are in a life-transforming relationship with God if you do
not show love to your
other brothers? This is the outward sign of what God inwardly has put into you
and means to you. Your relationship with God will overflow outwardly with love for others; an inward change shows in an outward demonstration.
These two are the
commandments Jesus gave to His
disciples, "You shall love the Lord you God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark
12:30-31 NASB). This is Jesus’ reiteration and
elaboration of the Shema the Jews knew from the Old Testament, the old covenant. Jesus also said, "By this all men will
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John
13:35 NASB). Are you marked by God in your deeds and
truth?
