Sacrifice

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16
"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

John 3:16. Probably the most popular Bible verse in the world. How cool is it that 1 John 3:16 is like the action, or the second part of that verse. Both books were written (no surprise here) by the apostle John. My Bible commentary says that at the time 1 John was written, Christianity had been around for more than a generation. Their main problem then was declining commitment of believers. I think that's relavant to today's world- a lot of people know that God loves them so much he gave them his Son, so if they believe in Jesus they will find salvation. But that verse is out there so much I think people lose it's meaning. 1 John 3:16 even helps me understand John 3:16 better. Yes, God loved the world- and this love is that Jesus laid down his life. Loving our brothers is sacrifice.