Love…Christ Style, Part II
A sermon for Christ’s Church at Monticello February 4, 2007
Gregg A. Nydegger

1 John 3:11-20 (NIV)
11    This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12    Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
13    Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14    We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15    Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16    This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17    If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18    Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19    This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
20    whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.


This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

John 10:11, 15, 17-18 (NIV)
11    "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

15    just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

17    The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.
18    No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father."
Matthew 26:52-54 (NIV)
52    "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
53    Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
54    But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)
21    To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

John 15:12-13 (NIV)
12    My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13    Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.


How do we lay our life down?


If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?


Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
10    Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Romans 12:13 (NIV)
13    Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.


If anyone has material possessions

Luke 3:11 (NIV)
11    John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need

If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him


If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him
how can the love of God be in him?


Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

James 2:14-17 (NIV)
14    What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?
15    Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16    If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17    In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 1:22 (NIV)
22    Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

1 John 4:20-21 (NIV)
20    If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21    And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Isaiah 1:16a-17b (NIV)
16b    Stop doing wrong,
17a    learn to do right!

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.