Jesus commanded us to Love One Another!
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”. John 13:34
Jesus said that without Him we can do nothing and that we need to abide in Him.
We know that whatever we do, if we do it in our own strength we will fail. However, Paul says that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” Phil 4:13. The New testament letters are full of verses which talk about the strength/power we have through the Holy Spirit within us.
Regarding practicing love, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace etc. If we have the Holy Spirit we have the whole package, so have the potential to be like Jesus and love in the way He did.
Paul says in Rom 12 to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. Jesus said “if you love me you will obey my commandments”. He commanded that we should love one another. Love is often costly (it is more than just a feeling – it is active). Jesus said, no greater love has any man than that he should lay down his life for his friend (ie die). There is far more to love than that listed in The Love Chapter (1 Corinth 13 ). John talks about active love in his 1st letter. I Cor 13 is in the context of “being church” and how to practice the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In other words we should love one another in action and in expression, ie whenever you physically show love by an action “feeding the poor” it should be done by the fruit of love inspired by the Holy Spirit, In other words the act of love gains nothing unless kindness, patience etc is shown also.
The scriptural principle is that born-again believers have full potential (through the Holy Spirit) to show God’s love in action and expression but we need to step out and do it. If you say, that we cannot manufacture that quality of love with our own ability, you are right, but if we step out and obey Jesus command to love (however difficult it may be) He will enable us. So we step out in our own strength (initially) by being obedient and then the Holy Spirit enables us to do it. If we do not do anything until we “feel” empowered by God to be active in love (after having already been filled by the Holy Spirit) then it may never happen.
Jesus does not command us to do something which He cannot fulfil in us. If Jesus has commanded us to love each other then we CAN do it, but in HIS strength, which He has already given us. The death and resurrection of Jesus was ALL sufficient for our salvation from sin, cleansing and renewing of our souls and receiving new life through the Holy Spirit.
If we have: thrown ourselves upon God in repentance confessing that we are helpless sinners who cannot save ourselves. Then trusted, believed on and accepted Jesus for our once and for all time, permanent salvation from sin, being born-again by His holy Spirit, we now have everything we need to fulfil Jesus command to love each other. We just need to step out and do it.
Can WE Love Each Other In The Way Jesus Commanded: Yes HE can through us!
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3 comments:
In the church, everyone is a fellow seeker. We attend church because we need fellowship, teaching, guidance, encouragement, friendship. And because we are commanded by God to be part of his spiritual family.
We are only fellow seekers and fellow recipients by the grace of God.
Do not be like police, investigator, prosecutor and judge.
Do not dig, reveal, explore, expose, discuss, judge and even tamper other's life especially their private and personal lives.
We all hear God's teachings (or the church's interpretation of it) and how we receive it and apply it in our own lives is individual and personal.
How to accept, follow, apply to our lives all the teachings of the bible is personal business of individual to God.
Do not dig, judge, gossiping, and examine the lives of others.
Mind your own walk with God. Follow and live by your own beliefs. Scratch your own back because we will give an account and be judged by God individually the way we live with Him.
First comment Anon:
I don’t know where you are coming from, but you are very mistaken. You speak of the Body of Christ as if the members are not connected. What one does affects the others.
We are our “brother’s keeper” and at time that means sounding a warning. The Bible tells we are to exhort one another to good works. Of course we are not to seek to play God in
the lives of others, but that doesn’t mean that we leave each other alone.
“Live and let live” sounds good, but it is the way the world operates.
The Bible does not say that we are not to judge at all. We are to judge righteously and
discern the false from the true. We are to speak the truth in love and often the best way to do that is to confront a brother or sister and hold them accountable. That is what true friendship is all about, not just a social club.
Anon # 2
Thanks for your comments from Anon 1 and 2.
I agree with your comments Anon number 2.
I would like to add something. The best I can do is to leave a scripture passage which I believe should settle the matter as to why this blog spends so much time: warning, exposing, encouraging and exhorting:
Acts 20:27-31
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."
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