Every time Bill left home, he always kissed his wife and said, “I love you, honey.” One day, she said to him, “Honey, if you really love me, why don’t you wash the windows, or cut the grass. Suddenly Bill realized that just saying the words “I love you” was not enough. His wife needed him to show his love by the things he did for her. That is what the Apostle John tried to get across to us when he wrote in 1 John CH 3, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other, let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and He knows everything. Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.” Both Jesus and John make it clear that God accepts us because of our faith in Him, but the evidence of our faith is our love and obedience toward Him and the way we show love to others.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
