¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The example John gives for being the ultimate proof of love is “he”, referring directly to Jesus, laid down His literal, physical life for the opportunity to offer salvation to all mankind across all of time. John is contrasting this act of love to the what the previous verses were discussing (11-15). Verse 14 boldly states, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” John is telling his audience that the proof of our hearts being made new by Jesus is our overflowing heart of love towards others. If we do not love, we are still “abiding in death” and have not been given a new heart.

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
Taking a look at studylight.org for a closer look at the verb “close”, we see that it is a very intentional choice on the part of the person doing the action. “Closing the heart” isn’t going to happen on accident or because we aren’t paying enough attention. To close our heart is to become decidedly callous. The writer of Deuteronomy gives a similar warning, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, …you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
This is an important question to ask when studying the Bible as it helps us tie the pieces of Scripture together to make accurate interpretations and solid understanding for God’s big picture of redemption. The tiny, italicized letters in your Bible are cross-references that help you do exactly that! Look them up and you’ll find a world of treasure as you study! For this specific section, one cross-references point us to Ezekiel 33:31. This verse is actually the Lord telling the prophet that people will seem eager to listen to the truth of his warnings about their sinful ways, but they will do nothing about it. They look in the mirror of God’s Word, but they walk away entirely unchanged. (James 1:24-25)

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The Bible doesn’t leave us wondering whether we are genuinely saved or not. The entire 3 books of 1, 2, and 3^rd John are devoted to “that you may know” statements about saving faith. These few verses are just one such example of “marks of an authentic believer”. John urges his audience to step back and gauge their level of love. Is it sacrificial? Does your love display others over self? Is your heart motivated to love deeper and deeper and better and better and better or are you content staying at your current “level of love”? Is your love full of expectations that others must meet in order for you to be happy with them? What happens when you’re disappointed in a relationship is an excellent gauge for your level of love, as well as considering who you are willing to love (and who you aren’t).

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
You’ve seen the images of flooding in Houston or wildfires in Montana, but your heart no longer aches for the people there. You are becoming callous and desensitized to loving others. We practice keeping our hearts “soft” by putting actions to match our words or thoughts. Sending money to aid relief workers, praying for specific people, or extending an invitation to coffee to that person you feel the Spirit nudging you to share His love with. Choose to act instead of becoming too fascinated with what seems more pressing at that moment. Choose love.

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
What was last Sunday’s sermon about? What did you read or learn about the last time you read your Bible? What was your big take-away from your last gathering as a small study group of believers? It’s harder to answer these than we’d like to admit, isn’t it? If we need to concentrate pretty hard to even recall what truths Pastor spoke over us just a few days ago, are we really allowing truth to transform us or are we simply adding to our knowledge of God? To genuinely love others better, we must take in solid truth and put feet and hands to our new understanding. Repeat God’s word over and over, write down your sermon take-aways, decide what your next action step will be and ask a friend to hold you accountable to doing it. Don’t just look at God’s Word, be radically transformed by it!

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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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