The Book of 1st John - Faith as Love in Action

“We know love by this, that Christ lad down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” – 1 John 3:16

This letter, believed to be written by the apostle John, focuses on the linking one’s faith to one’s life.  Much of the letter reflects on the importance of love and the ways that love from God flows to individual believers and then is spread to others.  This linking of life and faith through the context of love is also seen in the ways that the letter reflects on the importance of the incarnation.  Through Jesus’ birth, God has lovingly entered into the human situation thereby providing all of humanity with a clear link to God.
 
This letter provides us with an important reminder of the ways that our beliefs should not just remain in our heads and hearts, but should also compel us forward to respond to bring light and love to the world.  Indeed, as it says in this letter, our very ability to understand love is connected to the love that we see in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice (1 John 3:16).  Our calling is to continue to carry forward this love that has been revealed to us, for “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18).