Skip to main content

Dying for Others

By
Our Daily Bread Devotional 14th October, 2016

Read: 1 John 3:16-17
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 43-44; 1 Thessalonians 2

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
(John 10:11)

I love birds, which is why I bought six caged birds and carried them home to our daughter Alice, who began to care for them daily. Then one of the birds fell ill and died. We wondered if the birds would be more likely to thrive if they were not caged. So we freed the surviving five and observed them fly away in jubilation.
Alice then pointed out, “Do you realize, Daddy, that it was the death of one bird that caused us to free the rest?”

Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus did for us? Just as one man’s sin (Adam’s) brought condemnation to the world, so one Man’s righteousness (Jesus’s) brought salvation to those who believe (Rom. 5:12-19). Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

John makes it more practical when he says, “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16). This won’t likely mean literal death, but as we align our lives with Jesus’s example of sacrificial love, we find that we are “laying down our lives.” For instance, we might choose to deprive ourselves of material goods in order to share them with others (v. 17) or make time to be with someone who needs comfort and companionship.

Who do you need to sacrifice for today? —Lawrence Darmani

In what ways have others sacrificed for your well-being?

Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us motivates us to sacrifice ourselves for others.

INSIGHT: John reminds believers to model the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. True Christian love is sacrificial action (1 John 3:16) and selfless generosity (v. 17). John exhorts us to be loving and genuine, both in our speech and, more so, in our actions (v. 18). This kind of sacrificial love is the clearest of evidence that one has a new life (v. 14). The person who lacks love shows that he does not really know God nor is he in close fellowship with God, “for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Reminiscent of John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10 once again reiterates how much God loves us (vv. 9-10). Sim Kay Tee

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

You've been blessed through this reading share with Others. Share the DO's and the DON'T.

Popular posts from this blog

Marriage Booster: Do You Still Love Her/Him ?

By
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:25 KJV "This is what I love about you" In the beginning you love everything about him. You are captivated by his six pack, his spirit of adventure, and his lion’s heart. In the beginning you love everything about her. You go crazy with the swing of her hips, a wink or a chewy chocolate cake baked especially for you. One day you wake up. Daily routine has shattered your rose-tinted glasses. “His six pack is not so hot anymore, instead his joints creak with every move.” Or: “It would be better if she swung her hips into a gym one of these days.” You realize: “My partner has changed.” Fortunately! He isn’t standing still. The problem is not the change but rather, that you are a creature of habit. It is your task to rediscover your partner and to simultaneously not forget why you went up the aisle with sparkling eyes to marry your bride/groom. MARRIAGE BOOSTER Write d...
2 comments
Read more

Dominion Mandate Daily Devotional February 26, 2016

By
THEME: RETREAT TO REFRESH READ: Matt. 11:25-30 When some musicians want to release great songs, they retreat to secluded places where they can reflect, meditate and create. Some choose places overlooking the vast oceans, some choose where there are waterfalls, and some choose places with thick forestations.  As they observe the beauty of nature, the swift moves and songs of the soaring birds, the colourful flowering vegetations, the serene beaches and the unending waves of the nearby waters, they capture inspiration that helps them develop the hit songs they have been longing for. I met one of the world’s renowned musicians in Atlanta, USA a few years ago where journalist surrounded him and were asking what he had come to do and why his beards had grown so much. He said that his last album did not perform well enough and he was incubating another one he wanted to release that would perform better. He said that he needed to pull away from the Noise of New York and California ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can you ruin your destiny?

By
God had something in mind when He created you, right? But what if you’ve screwed up? Dropped out? Quit before it was over? Maybe you decided to do your own thing, it didn’t work out, and now you’re just sucking air and hoping there’s still hope. Guess what? There is! For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. (Romans 11:29 NLT) You don’t even have to start over. Every single thing you failed at? God will use it. (Romans 8:28) Every shot you called that was way off? God will repurpose it. (Proverbs 19:21) Every weakness you thought you had to hide? God’s power will show through it. (2 Corinthians 12:9) God created you for good works. As soon as you quit the past and sell out for Jesus, those works will happen. (Ephesians 2:10) He’s establishing you, step by step. (Proverbs 16:9) God’s a good Father. He knows how to bring you back and take you further than you ever imagined. (Ephesians 3:20) Spend some time really reflecting on these truths. What do you secretly hope is p...
Post a Comment
Read more