“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love his brother remains in death.”

— 1 John 3:14

The scripture commands us to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith and it makes clear that it is possible because of the deception of our own hearts, to be self-deceived and to be in error concerning our own salvation. I am sure that there are numerous people within the church of Christ who assume that they are saved and yet are not.

In 1 John, he lays down some key principles that help us understand this. He says, for example, “The one who does righteousness is righteous” (1 John 3:7).

He also looks at the specific subject of love, especially as the sign and test of our divine sonship. John begins by saying that this is the message that we heard from the beginning that we should love one another. This was the new commandment that Christ gave—that we should love one another, as He has loved us.

It is this commandment that John picks up on at this point and begins to describe to us. Not only was it the new commandment that summed up the ethical teaching of Jesus, but more than that it is the sign and test of whether or not we are part of the family of God. Whether we indeed have been saved or whether we deceive ourselves. How do we know we are saved? We have a love for our brothers and sisters in Christ that was not there before.

God of love, increase our love for You and our love for our fellow Christians. We only love because You loved us first. We pray today that Your love will so fill our hearts that it will overflow to the people around us…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN LOVE ONE ANOTHER.