Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 John 3:16-22.

 

“¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;  and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  ¹⁷ But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?  ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.  ¹⁹ We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him ²⁰ in whatever our heart condemns us;  for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;  ²² and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”  1 John 3:16-22.

 

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First of all, God is our example to follow.  “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;  and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  Verse 16. 

 

And, because God laid down His life for us, we can have faith that “whatever we ask we receive from Him” Verse 22,  “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”  Romans 8:32. 

 

Second, we are exhorted to love our brother in deed and truth.  “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?  Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”  Verses 17 and 18.

 

We are reminded of James 2:15-17 and Deuteronomy 15:7-8.

 

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”  James 2:15-17. 

 

“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;  but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.”  Deuteronomy 15:7-8. 

 

Third, by so loving our brother in deed and truth, we will do what is pleasing in His sight and have assurance and confidence before God.  “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us;  for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;”  Verses 19-21.

 

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.  If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”  1 John 2:28-29.