This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16.
Does the 3:16 in this Bible reference ring a bell? The original John 3:16 also speaks of love, God’s love toward us, and this verse repeats the theme. However, I challenge you prove that love exists. We all know it exists, the feelings we experience are unmistakeable. But we can’t see, measure or weigh it; there is no empirical way to prove its existence.
We only know two people are in love by the way they act, that is, by circumstantial evidence. Of course, all sorts of people talk about love, as you may say you love your wife, husband, father or child. How do they know? Love is not simply enjoying another’s company; on occasion, that may not be part of it. Does this mean love can be a chore?
Ah, the shoulds and oughts of life! And today’s verse adds another—“we ought to lay down our lives for [others].” It seems the paramount evidence that love exists is sacrifice. That may mean dying for another—Jesus said there is no greater love than that—but it far more likely means living for another, and that can be a greater and more demanding sacrifice.
So if someone tells you he or she loves you, or you claim to love someone else, can you see the evidence?
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