Bible Lesson 24
How should a Christian live?
With a special love for other believers.
One of the striking things that Jesus clearly taught is that a true Christian life will be marked by sincere and growing love for other Christians. The apostle John affirmed this also in his first letter, saying that if anyone claims to be a Christian but doesn’t have any love for other Christians, he is lying.
Why is this so important? There are several reasons, but here are three big ones:
Selfishness is natural. Sacrificial love is supernatural, and it is a striking contrast with the way the world normally works. Christian love will make people notice that something is different.
Jesus said that whatever we do “for the least of these my brothers,” we are doing it to Jesus himself. If a Christian is a part of the body of Christ, than any act of service or love done to him or her is done to Jesus!
The Christian life is going to be difficult. That’s why God didn’t make individual Christians, but a body, a family, a group of those he is saving. We need each other!
St. Ignatius and his friend, Francis Xavier. Early 1900’s. By Carlos Saenz de Tejada.
Amor por otros creyentes
Juan 13
(31) En cuanto Judas salió del lugar, Jesús dijo: «Ha llegado el momento para que el Hijo del Hombre entre en su gloria y, por causa de él, Dios será glorificado. (32) Y dado que Dios recibe gloria a causa del Hijo, pronto le dará gloria al Hijo.
(33) «Mis queridos hijos, voy a estar con ustedes sólo un poco más de tiempo. Y, como les dije a los líderes judíos, ustedes me buscarán, pero no pueden ir adonde yo voy. (34) Así que ahora les doy un nuevo mandamiento: ámense unos a otros. Tal como yo los he amado, ustedes deben amarse unos a otros. (35) El amor que tengan unos por otros será la prueba ante el mundo de que son mis discípulos».
Traducción: NTV
Love for other believers
John 13
When Judas left the place, Jesus said, “The moment has arrived in which the the Son of Man enters into his glory, and because of him, God will be glorified. And since God receives glory because of the Son, soon He will give glory to the Son.
“My dear children, I am going to be with you only a little more time. And, as I said to the Jewish leaders, you will seek me, but you won’t be able to go where I go. So now I give you a new commandment: love each other. Just as I have loved you, you all must love one another. The love that you have for each other will be the proof before the world that you are my disciples.”
1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.
2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.
3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.
4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to understand as much as you can.