The Gospel IRL: Real Love (1 John 3:14-19)

If you were to boil a Christian down to one distinctive thing that identifies them, what is that thing? Who are Christians? Christians love. The one thing that defines and differentiates Christians is an ability to reflect Jesus’ unconditional, sacrificial, charity based, other-oriented love. Do you want that? Are you growing tired of giving that? Do you wish for that? Are you cynical about that? Confused by that? Angry about that? Is there a name, a face, a relationship where you need that?  Many of us…we love who Jesus is, how he challenges the status quo and breaks down social barriers, how patient and grace-filled he is. Especially when Jesus is loving us. But are we actually loving? In reality we cannot show this kind of unconditional love to others. But the resurrected Christ, who is alive in us, gives us the capacity to show this kind of love to others. Christ enables us to love beyond our own capacity to love.