How to demonstrate the Christlike love: Give to the needy 

 

Quiet time (notes taken on 23/01/2018)

 

Introduction

Today, let’s talk about how we can love like Christ did.

 

Prayer:

Father, help us to be able to love like you do. Teach us not to be judgemental and help us show love to those who need it. Amen.

 

Bible Passage

1 John 3:16 – 24

 

How did Christ demonstrate his love for us?

 

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 and sisters. 

 

We can’t do the above, so then, how can we also demonstrate love? The verse 17 below shows us how we can do that.

 

¹⁷ 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? 

 

Thus, the bible is admonishing us not to show love by words only but by actions. We need to give to the needy. 

 

We need to be careful and verify when we give, because there are frauds and scammers out there. Regardless, there are also people out there that genuinely need help and should be supported.

¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

 

We need to walk the talk. Actions should go with our words. We should give genuinely in truth as Christians.

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 

If you feel bad and/or murmur about giving, know that God knows your heart. 

Hold on, till you feel led to give. God loves a cheerful giver [2 CORINTHIANS 9:7]

²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

 

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 

For verse 21, see also Isaiah 58: 7 -9.

⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

Lessons learnt

Giving to the needy and doing it in truth is important because

1.    1. We can demonstrate Christlike love as Christians

2.     2. It is a commandment from God – verse 23 to 24.

²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

 

Conclusion

We need to help others when they are in need.

 

Personally, I pray over any thing I give out. I ask God to use it to bless the receiver and also use it to bless me the giver.

Prayer:

God, help us to know when to give and who to give to. Amen!