Love Like Christ to Show Christ and Know Christ (1 John 3:10–23)

One of the greatest honours and aspirations for any athlete is to compete for their country on an international stage like the Olympic Games. They dream of wearing the flag and hearing their national anthem played as they stand on the podium. And many athletes make their country proud in those moments, competing and carrying themselves in an admirable and applaudable manner. But some bring shame to the nation they represent by cheating, lying, mistreating teammates and opponents, and even breaking the law. When this happens, the athlete is still a citizen of their county but they’ve failed to represent the values of their country. They’ve squandered the opportunity to showcase to the world the best that their nation has to offer.  Christians are on Team Jesus. We wave a common flag and represent a heavenly nation. Our job is to represent well, not bringing shame but showcasing to the world the best our Lord has to offer. And according to 1 John 3, that means we love one another like Christ.