Love One Another - Part Two
To read the previous post in this series, click here.
God is Love
John 13 (KJV 2000)
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
1 John 4 (KJV 2000)
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.
8 He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
The command to love one another is a command to love one another as Christ loved us. Many times, some believers have tried to substitute human love for Christ’s love, with poor results. Human love at its best has its limitations. Human love will care, help, forgive, assist, sacrifice and give to a limited extent. Only God’s love goes all the way.
To be able to love one another as Christ loved us, we must understand that love is the nature of God. Love is not some façade that God puts up to seduce the hearts of men. It is not His positive reaction to good things that we do. It is not His approval when we do things that are right. It is not a variable quantity that depends on the value of some other factors. The love of God is absolute and eternal and boundless! It does not depend on anything at all!
Lamentations 3 (KJV 2000)
22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
Psalms 136 (KJV 2000)
1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endures forever.
Jeremiah 31 (KJV 2000)
3 The LORD has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.
Psalms 36 (KJV 2000)
7 How excellent is your lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings.
Psalms 63 (KJV 2000)
3 Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
The greatest demonstration of God’s love was in the gift of His Son, Jesus.
John 3 (KJV 2000)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15 (KJV 2000)
12 This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
2 Corinthians 9 (KJV 2000)
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
This laying down of the life of Jesus as a gift is our example – the Bible says it is the standard for our own walk in love.
1 John 3 (KJV 2000)
16 By this perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Let us meditate on the depth of this great love! Let us study and reflect on His example. Let us demonstrate the same to others!
1 Corinthians 13
5 [Love] does not behave itself rudely, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, keeps no record of evil;
Continue in grace!
Love One Another - Part Three
Forgiving One Another John 13 (KJV 2000) 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another;