Discipleship Devotional, January 30th, 2025
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
– 1 John 4:20 (NIV)
As John teaches in our anchor text, we cannot claim that we love God while simultaneously hating those around us. You don’t love the invisible God if you show no love to His visible creation. One of the problems with the religious Pharisees of Jesus’ day was that they claimed piety and love for God but had no love for people. For example, we find that they were more angry that a man was healed on the Sabbath day than they were happy he was healed at all. This is how heartless they were towards their fellow men while claiming religious piety.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, we find that a priest and a Levite walked past the dying man without doing anything. These were the religious leaders of the day, yet they had no love for the person who was dying. These people would have claimed to love God, yet it was not visible in how they treated others. We must not be this way. We must walk in love towards everyone around us. This is how we prove that we truly love God—not just by words.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
– John 13:34-35 (NIV)
The Lord Jesus, speaking to His disciples, told them about loving one another. He said that this is proof that they truly are His disciples. For us today, this is true. How do we let the world know that we are disciples of Christ? Not just by saying we are, but by demonstrating the love of Christ.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, help me to walk in love with those around me. Thank You, Father. Amen.
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