Love One Another

John 15:9,12

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love…This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Is it really possible to love others the way Jesus loved us? Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to give His life on the cross. With His blood that He shed, He made atonement for the sins of all humankind that ever lived and those who would be born after He rose and ascended to the Father. How is it possible for us to love in such a measure? With all of our faults and humanity, Jesus said, and commanded that we are to love one another as He and the Father have loved us. Man, with all of his good intentions, is not able to accomplish this. But, with God, all things are possible (Matt 19:26). To love as God loved is not a feeling or emotion, but a choice. The choice to love comes from the Father above. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) Love is a gift and fruit of the Spirit that is given to us by the Holy Spirit that is with us. As believers, we seek the Holy Spirit not only to be with us, but in us to guide us into all truth. The truth is that God is love, and with the help of His Spirit, He can lead us into this love to love one another. An example of this love was recently demonstrated by the wife of Charlie Kirk, who was shot by a man who hated the truth that Charlie was speaking. Charlie’s wife, Erika, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, publicly forgave this man. Such love is not possible with the human nature we are born with. Let us examine our hearts and ask God to search us out. To remove any shadow of hate, and fill us with His divine love. When His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, we are then able to fulfill His commandment, and love others as He has loved us. 

Where Are You?

Gen 3:9  And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

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Our life is an open book to God. There is nothing that we do or say that He does not know. We may be able to keep them hidden from other human eyes, but there is nowhere to hide from the eyes of God. He is a God of love and even in our disobedience He seeks to find us. God desires that we come out in the open and confess our unbelief, our sin, our disobedience. The wages of sin is death, but God has provided a way for us to return back to Him. We who have lived in darkness, can come into the light of God love and forgiveness. The debt has been paid, Jesus died for the “apple” we have eaten. We don’t have to find a place to hide from God for our shame, He calls us out, “Where are you?”. Come out from living in darkness into the marvelous light of God’s grace.

Love One Another

John 13: 34,35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another… By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The golden rule, the thread that is woven into the hearts of all believers. Love, the theme that is the hallmark of God’s word. Love the goes beyond mere affection, desire, and passion of the flesh. In a world that is filled with hate and selfish gratification for the things of this world, it is rare to see true love. This is how Christian are marked. The image of Christ is stamped in their heart, and the love of Christ indwells the believer through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. “…The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”(Roman 5:5) Such love is not possible in the flesh. The love of the flesh is limited and given to man by God, but God’s love goes deeper and is divine. This is the love that can only be found in Christ and through Christ. Let us live in Christ so that we may love as Christ loves.