Biblical reflections on how the Lord actively displays His love.

I remember a time when I was a young Christian speaking with an older and much wiser brother in Christ. I was sharing with him at great length all the things that I wanted to see happen in my church and how it was all going to come about. He looked me in the eye and told me that talk was cheap.

I was hurt at the time. However, through the years, I have come to understand the wisdom of what he said. Talk is cheap. Do those whom we love know that we love them by what we say? No! It is our actions which reveal our heart. If what we say is not reinforced by what we do, then we will not be believed. Talk is cheap.

In 1 John 4:8 we read that God is love. When we are sharing the gospel, it is easy for us to declare this truth and to tell people that God loves them, but how can they know that this is true? We must not separate the declaration of God’s love in verse 8 from the demonstration in verse 9. God showed his love by sending His Son. His declaration came with a demonstration as he provided atonement and new, eternal life for those who are found in Jesus Christ (cf. 1 John 5:20).

So, the love of God can be known and experienced personally. And in this we see that God is not merely a God of words, but also a God of action. His actions expound and prove the validity of His Word. In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul reinforces this thought by telling us that the love of God is seen not just in the fact that God gave His only begotten son, while we were still sinners, but also in that this Son died for us.

The love of God is not just spoken; it is seen in His actions, which enable us not only to understand His love intellectually, but to experience it for ourselves as a lived reality. Across Asia, God’s people are reaching out in countless different ways to their neighbours, friends, families and communities with the love of God which has impacted their lives. Their great longing is that this same love will also impact the lives of those around them.

We too can be a part of this vital work, by supporting these Asian brothers and sisters as they seek to demonstrate the love of the God who acts. As we pray for their work and give as we feel led, we enable these servants to demonstrate and declare the glorious love of God.