...love as Christ loves...

“3 Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. 

4 Whoever says, ‘I have come to know him’, but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; 5 but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6 whoever says, ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as he walked.

A New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says, ‘I am in the light’, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness” 1 John 2:3-11.

In John’s Gospel Jesus gave us a new commandment: “34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:34-35. Jesus steps away from the commandment, “Do unto others as they do unto you,” and announces that we should love others “as I have loved you!” And then John writes in the first of three letters a restatement of Jesus’ new love command: “10 Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.

11 But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness” 1 John 1:10 & 11.

Clearly this is key to our own life and key to understanding Jesus. We must love others as Jesus loves others. In my lifetime this has been the most important thing for me personally. That doesn’t mean I have hit 1,000 in following this command. I haven’t. But it by far the most important statement about what the Christian life is all about. Simply put, we have to love everyone else on this good earth in the same way Jesus loves everyone. And all we have to do is remember the statement of love Jesus expressed when He died on the cross. He loved us to death and forgave everything we ever did wrong. Jesus’ love is total, self-sacrificing love.

So today in your prayer, consider your love for others. Pray that the Lord will strengthen your love to resemble His love for you. Pray for God’s loving forgiveness, and love others and forgive everyone as God does.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.