Dear Church,
Despite the snowy morning, what a day of worship we had. Wasn’t it a joy to hear our children, The Joyful Noise, sing for us? Their voices were a beautiful reminder of God working among our children. Please continue to pray that God would bring more young families into our church so our children’s choir will grow!
It’s easy to say we love God. Those words come naturally in worship, in prayer, and even in conversation. But Scripture presses us to look deeper, beyond what we claim, to what we show John writes with startling clarity, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20). John doesn’t say that person is confused or immature. John says, “A liar”. Why? Because love for God, when it is real, always spills over into love for His people. In fact, that is the most pressing evidence of our love for God.
On the night before the cross, Jesus didn’t give His disciples a new feeling to chase, He gave them a new way to live. He washed their feet (John 13:14), taking the posture of a servant. Then He gave them a command: “Love one another. As I have loved you…” (John 13:34). And He added this sobering truth: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Notice that Jesus didn’t say the world would know us by any other markers we put in the forefront today as our Christian identity. According to our Savior the identifying mark of genuine faith is our visible love expressed in humility, patience, forgiveness, and sacrificial care for one another.
This means our truest spiritual temperature isn’t measured by how loudly we profess our love for God, but by how gently we treat His people, especially when it costs us something. The gospel doesn’t just change what we believe, it changes how we love. And when that love can be seen, God is glorified, the church is strengthened, and the world takes notice. So as this week begins, let’s ask ourselves honestly: Is my love for God being made visible through my love for others?
Be Encouraged,
Mathews
