Verse: 1 John 3:16
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.
And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Application:
Real love is an action, not a feeling. It produces selfless, sacrificial giving.
The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. How can we "give up our life"? By serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. Sometimes it is easier to say we'll die for others than to truly live for them - this involves putting others' desires first. Jesus taught this same principle of love in John 15:13 .
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.