We have come to know love by this—Yeshua [Jesus] laid down His life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16, TLV
Lay Down OUR Life? I wonder how the translators of the Bible — especially the Gospels and Epistles — all decided how the verses were separated and numbered. Was it intentional that today’s verse — 1 John 3:16 — was the companion to John 3:16? Or was that driven by the Holy Spirit. Probably the Holy Spirit.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, TLV
Regardless, as I meditated further, the reality of John’s message in today’s verse was a “spiritual” slap in the face. A wake-up call. How do we lay down our life for our family when we’re offended and hurt by them?
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. (vs. 14, TLV)
The only way we have any hope of laying down our life for another is if we make a practice of forgiving. Living a life of grace and mercy and forgiveness. Yeshua is our example — our perfect example. Since we’re not perfect, we need constant reminding that to receive forgiveness, we must forgive.
After Jesus taught His followers how to pray, He emphasized this:
“For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:14-15, TLV)
Today, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anyone we have not forgiven or people we need to forgive again because the hurt resurfaces and we’re holding that hurt. Especially our fellow redeemed brothers and sisters. When the hurt in deep and even dangerous, we still must forgive or our Father won’t forgive us. Unforgiveness chains us to the past and without our Father’s forgiveness we have no chance of freedom.
Once we’ve established that pattern of forgiveness in our life, maybe, just maybe, we will trust our Father that should the time come, we will have the strength to lay down our life for others.
Shabbat shalom.
