John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
When we love people, even the unlovely, people take notice. We are known as God’s people when we have love for Christ and the people.
There are times when believers feel a keen need for Jesus’ physical presence. Jesus knew this. That is the reason He said that the disciples would seek His presence. True, believers have the Holy Spirit, and He is the all-sufficient Comforter and the abiding Presence of God Himself. But being human, believers need another human presence with them. They need a brother or a sister, a genuine believer who loves them with the supernatural love of Jesus Himself. Jesus knew this, so He commanded believers to love each other. Believers are to meet the needs of each other for companionship and fellowship and for care and concern.
The new commandment is to love as Christ loved. This is not the old commandment, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” It is not a human, neighborly love being commanded. This commandment is a new commandment being given to disciples only. It is the spiritual love that is to exist between believers as brothers and sisters and as servants of God who minister together. The love being commanded is the love of Jesus Himself which is the love of God Himself, the love that can be shed abroad in our hearts only by the Holy Spirit
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
It is not the normal physical love among human neighbors which is being commanded by God. It is a spiritual love that is wrought only by the Spirit of God. Only the Spirit of God can put the love of Jesus within the heart of the believer. The Holy Spirit can create within the believer the love of Jesus Himself, the very same love which Jesus had while here on earth.
The new commandment is the mark of a true disciple. The distinguishing mark of a true believer is not the normal human love of neighbors, not even the love of brothers and sisters or of husband and wife. It is the spiritual and supernatural love of Jesus Himself that dwells within the life of the believer. By this love shall all men know that a person is a true disciple of the Lord.
John 15:12 -This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you”
1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that love not know not God; for God is love. Love is not what you say, Love is what you do.
Welcome to the month of November, 2014.
God bless
Pastor Lillian Haastrup
