Go! And Live Out His Love - 1 John 3:16
1 John 3:16 (NLT): "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters."
Introduction
If you asked the average person on the street, “What is love?” you would get a thousand different answers. Some would point to romance, others to family, others to feelings of kindness or compassion. Yet John the Apostle tells us we know what real love is—not by looking to Hollywood, not by consulting philosophy, but by looking to Jesus Christ and His cross.
This verse doesn’t just tell us about love—it defines love. It doesn’t just talk about what love looks like—it demonstrates it in the most radical way possible: Jesus laid down His life.
Church, if we grasp this truth, it will transform the way we love God, the way we love one another, and the way we love a world still in darkness.
Point 1: Real Love is Defined by the Cross
"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us…" (1 John 3:16a, NLT)
The Greek word John uses for “love” is agape—a love of sacrificial action, not mere emotion. It’s not about what someone feels, but what they do.
John reminds us that our entire understanding of love must begin with the cross. At Calvary, love was not a concept but a crucified Saviour. Love had nails in His hands and thorns on His brow. Love hung between heaven and earth and cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, NLT).
Romans 5:8 "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
Paul wrote to a church divided between Jew and Gentile, reminding them that salvation came by grace, not works.
Love is proactive. God didn’t wait for us to get better—He loved us at our worst.
You don’t need to “earn” God’s love; it is already poured out at the cross.
John Piper once said, “The measure of God’s love is seen in the magnitude of the sacrifice He made and the unworthiness of the beneficiaries of that love.”
And friends, that’s us. We were unworthy, yet Christ loved us to death.
Imagine a soldier who dives on a live grenade to save his platoon. That act is considered the highest form of sacrifice. Yet Jesus’ sacrifice was greater—He didn’t die for comrades who loved Him, but for enemies who rejected Him.
Point 2: Real Love Calls Us to Sacrifice for Others
"So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." (1 John 3:16b, NLT)
John transitions from what Christ did for us to what we must do for others. The phrase “ought to” in Greek (opheilomen) carries a sense of moral obligation. Because we have received sacrificial love, we are indebted to live sacrificially.
Philippians 2:3–5 "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
Paul, writing from prison, exhorts believers in Philippi to unity through humility.
To love as Christ loved is to embrace humility and self-giving.
Ask yourself daily: “How can I lay aside self to serve others?”
Tim Keller once wrote, “The Christian life is not about finding yourself but about losing yourself in service to God and others.”
Church, true freedom isn’t found in indulging self—it’s found in giving self.
Think of a candle. A candle gives light only by burning itself away. In the same way, Christians illuminate the world through sacrificial love, even when it costs.
Point 3: Real Love Reflects the Gospel to the World
The world cannot see God directly, but they can see God’s love through us.
John 13:34–35 "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
Spoken on the night of His betrayal, Jesus knew love would be the defining mark of His followers.
Evangelism flows not only from preaching but from love in action.
The church must be a living testimony of the Gospel, not just in word but in deed.
Francis Schaeffer wrote, “The final apologetic which Jesus gives is observable love among true Christians.”
If the world doubts our message, they will look at our love. If love is absent, our witness collapses.
Point 4: Real Love Requires a Gospel Foundation
We cannot manufacture this kind of love. It flows from knowing Christ personally.
Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Paul confronted false teachers adding works to grace.
Christ’s life in us is the source of true love.
To love sacrificially, you must first be transformed by Christ.
Charles Stanley said, “We are most like Christ when we give ourselves away in love.”
Beloved, only Christ in us can empower us to love beyond ourselves.
Gospel Presentation: The Love that Saves
At the heart of this message is the Gospel:
Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live.
He died the death we deserved, bearing our sins upon the cross.
He was buried, but on the third day He rose again, conquering sin, death, and hell.
Now He offers forgiveness, eternal life, and His love to all who will repent and trust Him.
This is not just theology—it is the greatest reality in the universe. Christ’s love is not abstract—it is personal, it is saving, it is transforming.
Call to Action
For the believer:
Go! And live out His love. Sacrifice for others. Put others first. Let your life be a living sermon of the Gospel.
For the seeker or unbeliever:
Repent and believe today. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. His arms are stretched out still—ready to forgive, ready to save, ready to embrace you in eternal love.
Invitation to Salvation
Friend, maybe you’ve known about God’s love, but never received it personally. Today, Jesus calls you. Turn from your sin. Trust Him as your Lord and Saviour. You don’t need to clean yourself up first—come as you are. At the cross, the ground is level.
Pray: “Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me enough to die for me. I confess I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I turn from my sin and trust You as my Saviour. Live in me, change me, and help me love as You loved me. Amen.”
Benediction:
May you go from here knowing the immeasurable love of Christ, walking in the power of His Spirit, and living sacrificially so that the world may see Jesus through you. Go—and live out His love.
