A New Command I Give You, Love One Another

JOHN 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.13.34-35.nkjv

These are Jesus own words; He said, “we must love one another as He loves us.”

He gave His life for you, me, and all who believe in Him; paying our debt of sin that we might live. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Love is more than simple words, feelings or emotions. Love is a choice and an action-a selfless act of care without any hidden agendas; it is unconditional.

Jesus never sinned and He really does not like our sin, but He still loves us anyway (see ROMANS 8:38-39) and as a good Father, took full responsibility of His children’s behaviour.

He doesn’t hide our sin or pretend it didn’t happen, but rather, He satisfied the Law by paying our debt with His own blood.

My brethren, no other religion deals with the problem of sin; only Jesus can do that.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You may not like what others do, their moral standards, or even their religion, but you can still make the decision to care about them, to love them without any kind of expectation of something in return.

This is the way of Jesus Christ, and He is the example to follow.

We do not need to die for others, Jesus already did that, but we can display Christ-like love, by helping when it is inconvenient, or costly, and by giving and helping when it is difficult or painful. That is shining for Christ.

We can display God’s love by devoting, time, money, and energy to others’ welfare, absorbing the hurts of others without complaining, fighting back, or expecting something in return.

This kind of love is not easy, but the Holy Spirit will lead and empower us in His love.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

‭‭I John‬ ‭4:18-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Therefore, my brethren, love is the greatest of all gifts. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus said, “”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This is a way of life, Jesus way. Furthermore, when one is obedient to these two great commandments, all the others fall into place, for all the Laws and Prophets hang on the law of love.

If only we could all put these two great commandments into place, this world would very quickly become a better place to live. 

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But giving must be by the leading of the holy Spirit, not out of guilt, or any other reason.

To give outside of God’s leading may lead one into financial hardship or even undermine the work God is doing in others.

Even ties and offerings was an Old Testament rule that was put into place to fund the church, because Old Testament believers did not have the benefit of the indwelling holy Spirit to lead them.

But today, we are blessed with the Holy Spirit, to lead, guide, and help us in all things (JOHN 14:15-18).

10% of one’s income was a guide on how much one should give, but today, it’s no longer I, but Christ in me that does it.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t fund our church, of course we must, but give according to the leading of the holy Spirit rather than the religious rules of the past.

My beloved, because we believers of today have the benefit of the Holy Spirit in us, Old Testament rules like tithing, banning women from leading, teaching  and preaching are no longer necessary, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s no longer I, but Christ in me that does it.

All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.