Hey all! As usual, I pray that all is well and all will be well in your lives.
We just finished the ten commandments, but there is one more commandment to go over.
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. — John 13:34-35 (NIV)
No, the bible doesn’t call this the eleventh commandment, in fact there are many other commandments before this one, but I like to think of this one as the eleventh 🙂
This commandment is what Jesus/God is all about and what we should be: he boils down to love. Most of all, this commandment is not exclusive to love only other followers of Christ; it is to love everyone!
Remember the most famous scripture of the New Testament:
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 (NIV)
God loves the world, that is the people and the souls of this world: he gave his son and died for them. If you follow Christ and aim to have his same characteristics, then you should love too. Salvation started because of love, and it is the job of every follower of Christ to spread the good news of God’s love. How do we spread it? by keeping this commandment.
Many people claim to be Christians and do things in the name of Christ, but anyone who does not love is not of Christ. In fact, they are liars and deceivers. There is no sugar-coating that.
We love because He first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well. — 1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)
Similar to above, this is not exclusive to love only other follows of Christ, it is to love everyone.
Further, those who are apathetic and shun the unredeemed are worthless to God
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. — 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)
What good are you to his kingdom if you are not impacting and bringing him the souls he died for? This passage of scripture should alarm and cause every follower to examine themselves regularly, as these are the highest spiritual works listed here.
And, think outside the box when you examine yourself. Ask both yourself and people why they don’t like or want to be around you? Now, the unredeemed may not want to hand with you, and they may even criticize your faith, but they should have peace in your presence. They should want to come to you for questions and comfort. Everyone will have life questions and need comfort at many points in their lives. Your love and warmth will be the future opportunity to win them over to Christ. You cannot do that if you are apathetic, shun them and/or they cannot stand to be in your presence.
Last Paul explains the virtues of love in 1 Corinthians.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.
Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
This is a beautiful passage and the words are very powerful, but make sure you practice them, and not just read them. When you are examining yourself, your answers should be in line with what Paul said.
If you get answers from people like: you’re condescending, stuck up (self-righteous/bigot), you’re always depressed, then pray and ask Jesus for more of his love in you. Not his love “for” you (he did that on the cross), but his love “in” you.
To those who know him, hold up the cross, burn hotter than those who misuse his name, and shine brighter than those who profane his name.
To the unredeemed, while you may see many who fail to practice love and live up to the standard of what it is to be a Christian. Please know that we are not all like that. There are still many of us who love, care about, and want to know you.
Please find us, you will know us by the love, his love, we emit.
May God bless and keep all who read this.
May God bless and keep all brothers and sisters, new and old, in the faith in his name.
With his love and mine,
Chrom