Have you ever known a friend who claimed that they had a cool car, only to find that it was still up on blocks in their garage, awaiting restoration? Now, I have great respect for those with the skills to restore old or damaged cars, which is something that I don’t have the expertise to do myself. When some of these cars are acquired, though, they aren’t ready to go anywhere under their own power!
Or, do you remember going to a museum as a child, and getting to sit in a vehicle on display, only to discover that the buttons didn’t actually do anything? I mean, what’s the fun of getting to sit in the driver’s seat of a fire engine if you can’t turn on the siren?
It can be disappointing or disillusioning to be excited about something, only to discover that it doesn’t actually work or do what you expected.
Continuing in a study of 1 John, let’s keep that in mind as we read some examples of how we can love others, even though we can’t die for their sins like Jesus did.
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? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18 NIV
I like how verse 18 confirms that “lip service” is not love:
- “Virtue signaling” is not love.
- “External piety” is not love.
- “Checking boxes” or “going through the motions” is not love.
If we have extra blessings from God that someone else needs (especially someone else in the church), and we intentionally withhold them from those in need, it would seem that compassion and love for our brothers and sisters is lacking in our lives. Like a vintage car before restoration, or an airplane cockpit in a museum, love without actions and truth is not particularly useful. It has potential, but not results. Love can be expressed in words, but it results in actions.
As a result, John questions whether the love of God is even in us if we see indicators like this in our choices.
Furthermore, we should love in truth. For instance:
- There is no love in lying, cheating, or stealing from others.
- There is no love in tainting the good news about Jesus with false teachings.
- There is no love in telling someone that they are good enough to go to Heaven and don’t need to be saved.
So, how about you and me? Is our love just an idea, or a false claim that we make which doesn’t align with our actions? If so, we may need to put some effort into “restoration” or a “refit” of that love, to make it operate more like the love of God. That includes sharing what we have with those in need, taking actions to live out our love for others, and making choices that prove our claims to love others aren’t merely nice-sounding untruths.
And, even if you feel that you’re doing a pretty good job of living out the love of God within you, I encourage each of us to re-read this passage from 1 John, and ponder it the next time we see a need around us or tell someone that we love them.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 2, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 