1 John 3 shows God’s love as adopting, transforming, and practical.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). God’s love doesn’t start with you getting your act together—it starts with God giving you a new name: child. In the real world, that’s the difference between living like an employee trying to earn approval and living like a son who’s already welcomed home. When you blow it—lose your temper, cut corners, drift spiritually—God’s love doesn’t revoke your family status. He calls you back to it.
John says this love also changes what you want: “everyone who thus hopes…purifies himself” (3:3). Not perfectionism—direction. Think of the dad who starts going to bed earlier because he wants to be present for his kids in the morning. Or the friend who stops feeding a habit because they’re tired of being owned by it. God’s love produces that kind of new hunger: “I want to look like Jesus.”
Then John gets concrete: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us…let us not love in word… but in deed” (3:16–18). Love becomes groceries for a struggling neighbor, a calm apology after a heated argument, showing up when it’s inconvenient, forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it, or quiet generosity no one applauds.
Today, receive God’s love as your identity—and then let it move through your hands.
