For Love's Sake

John 3:16 shares that For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We are all familiar with this scripture text, but I wonder if we have considered what the writer meant by believeth in Him. Sure it seems plain on its face--if you believe in God then this sacrifice was made for you so that you may enjoy everlasting life. But I believe that there is more. I was talking to a dear friend yesterday and we were discussing some of the things that we do that may be outside of what we are comfortable with, but we do those things for love's sake. The Bible tells us that God is love so we can conclude that some of the things that we do as Christians may be outside of what we would normally do, but when we do them, it is to glorify God and edify His people.

When we accept God, when we believe in Him, that belief brings about a process of change. Our minds are renewed. We lay down our will and pick up God's will. We accept His yoke and learn His ways. We die and God lives through us. We begin to understand that if God Himself could make such a selfless sacrifice then He is worthy to be praised in every aspect of our lives; from trusting Him to chasing after Him; from worshipping Him for who He is to striving to conform to His holy will.

There are some sacrifices that we will take on for love's sake or to glorify God and in doing so we solidify our faith. Consider the following scripture text:

2If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary.

3But if one loves God truly [[a]with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [[b]recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him].

Everyday I'm realizing that love is patient and kind and doesn't puff itself up. It doesn't have to be seen or heard. It can operate totally free of bias or in spite of it. Love conquers all and endures all. Love is greater than all of my sins, my resistance to the process that God is putting me through, my doubts and fears, my ability to think or my feelings.

If God loves us so much that He gave His only Son, should we do all that we are capable of doing for His sake?