“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)
When we love with this (agape) love, we as disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ prefer to live through Christ, to embrace God’s will, to choose his choices, and to obey them through his power. For this word “love,” in this context, means to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord. So we will do for others what is for their good, and we will not do to them what is evil.
In what ways can we put this into practice in our daily lives? First of all it must be through us surrendering our lives to Christ to do his will, then we must submit to the Lordship of Christ over our lives. We must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For we can’t love with this love if we don’t first love God.
Thus, when we love with this love, it is in action and not in words only. It is not just in lip service, but it is in walks of obedience to our Lord, and it is in walks of holiness, godliness, moral purity, honesty, and faithfulness to God and to his will and purpose for our lives; and faithfulness to our spouses. It is in acts of kindness and generosity, and in humility. And it is in doing for others what is for their good, and it is not willfully doing evil against them.
For this is not human love. It is not based in our emotions (feelings) and in the one we are loving. This love continues even when we are hated and mistreated in return. For we don’t love others based on how they treat us, but we love others based on God’s love for us and on his love working in and out through our lives in us loving others, even loving those who mistreat us and who do evil against us continually. For God is love!
And how did Jesus love us? He gave himself up for us sinners to free us from our slavery to sin so that we will now walk in obedience to him and to his commands in holy living. So we should dedicate our lives to loving others in this way by surrendering our own lives and reputations and time to God in order to share with others the truth of the gospel which will set them free from their bondage to sin so that they can also walk according to God’s will.
And Jesus did what he did despite how others treated him in return. He loved even when he was reviled in return, and when they called him “crazy” and “of Satan,” and when they accused him falsely of disobeying the commands of God. He was still loving the people when they hung him on that cross to die and when they beat him and spat on him and mocked him and when they treated him like he was the enemy. He still loved them!
And this is how we are to love. And even while we were still the Lord’s enemies he gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that we can now be free from our slavery to sin and so we can now walk in holiness and in righteousness in obedient walks of faith in him. But not just that, but so that we can have eternal life with him in heaven, provided that we continue in these walks of faith to the very end.
So, we will not be known as the Lord’s disciples just for showing human love to one another, for human love is fickle, it is based in how we feel, and it is fluctuating depending on our circumstances, and it is not un-ending like agape love is. For feelings come and feelings go, and people can stop loving one another when they lose those “special feelings” that they once had. And this is why there are so many divorces in America. People fall out of love.
Therefore, other people should know that we are disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ when we love God and when love our fellow humans with this agape love which prefers what God prefers and which chooses his choices and obeys them in his power. They will know we are his followers when we love others even when they revile us and do evil against us and despitefully use us and treat us like dirt. For that is how Jesus loved and loves us.
You Loved Me
An Original Work / December 3, 2019
A song based off the poem by the same name
When I was lonely and afflicted,
You were there to pick me up.
You took me in Your arms,
And You held me tenderly.
Your love embraced me.
Your grace sustained me.
When my heart cried out to You
In my fear and my despair,
You never turned away,
But You let me know You loved me.
Your grace forgave me.
You did not shame me.
Then, when I answered the call,
“Here, Lord, send me.”
You sent me to where I must be.
Your mercy held me, did not fail me.
All this, You had planned, to use me.
And, when all trials and scorn
Came to test me.
You gave me all that I would need.
You strengthened me so I’d not fail You.
Your kindness blessed me, it touched me.
And, when I needed the church
To lift up me,
To hearten me so I’d not fail,
You blessed me with folks who would love me.
Their presence with me, Your praise hailed!
And, when I walked through the valley
Of the shadow of the death,
And tears flowed from my eyes,
Still Your kindness was there for me.
Your touch, it healed me.
For I believed You.
When now I think about the ways,
Of the many, many ways
That You in Your great love
Show me that You’ll always care for me,
My heart, it thanks You,
And gladness fills me, fills me.
https://vimeo.com/377807796
No comments:
Post a Comment