The Gift of God's LoveSample

Sincere Love

Our gift of salvation should motivate us to live lives of love and sacrifice not only to God, but to other people as well.

Paul tells us that “love must be sincere” (Romans 12:9). Sincere love is difficult to find. More often what we see is an artificial, hypocritical love—something that people do for appearances or only when it is convenient and easy. There is no true sacrifice within it, and no desire to look out for the interests of other people above their own.

Yet the Bible defines love differently: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16–-18).

Sincere love is not something we only show to our family and friends. When we truly love other people the way God wants us to, this love extends to even those we think don’t deserve our love. Jesus told us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you … If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:44, 46–47).

Prayer: Father, help me to have a sincere love, even for those I find difficult to love. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).