Tag Archives: love me

JOUN’S GOSPEL…KNOWING GOD – 4c

Bible Study, ,

It seems that John had taken seriously Jesus’ instruction during His last hours with them in the Upper Room. Jesus had told them that loving Him equated to keeping His commandments. He gave them His new commandment to love one another as He had loved them.  

The question is…since we love Jesus by obeying Him, in what tangible ways can we love one another as evidence of our love for Him? Does the Bible give us the ways in which we can love each other in God’s family?

Across the New Testament letters, there are many instructions to help us fulfil this commandment. 

  1. By meeting one another’s needs

John wrote…

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead….If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬, ‭14‬, ‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This instruction is for everyone and specially for those who have enough to meet their own needs and some left over to help others in need. 

  1. By serving one another through our spiritual gifts

Spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit are a great way to show our love for each other. In every church group, there are a variety of spiritual gifts spread across the congregation. These are gifts that can minister to many different needs in the family of God. 

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not everyone has the same gift, so, by using our gifts, we can together contribute to the life and health of Christ’s body. 

  1. By building up one another’s faith and encouragement to do good works 

“But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith…”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Faith and good works are an essential part of our everyday lives. We live by faith, not by sight or feelings. Good works are the ways of serving each other, led by His Spirit, especially by using our spiritual gifts. 

  1. By doing life together

“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Doing life together is the way God’s children are a witness to His life in us. This means participating together in all the ups and downs of ordinary life by protecting the love and unity that binds us together. 

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Without the witness of the Holy Spirit’s power in us to overcome our natural selfishness, the preaching of the gospel of Jesus is hollow and unconvincing. Love and unity in Jesus’ body are the best witness to the truth that Jesus came from heaven to save us. 

  1. By praying for one another

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are many encouragements to pray for one another in all circumstance. How better can we love one another than by identifying with each other at God’s throne of grace?

  1. By identifying with one another’s suffering

“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ NLT

We can link this encouragement together with prayer as the best way to identify with each other in suffering. 

We can’t do all of these things all of the time especially because we are separated by time and distance. However, we are encouraged to do what we can, when we can, to whom we can, especially in our local fellowship. We can also go global with our prayers and financial support when we can. 

Since we are children of God, led by His Spirit, we can ask Him to show us ways to obey Jesus’ command to love one another that will witness to His presence in and among us. 

There may be other ways in which we can love each other but these samples give us insights into the closeness of God’s family and the need to support and protect one another against the ravages of the sin nature in us and the sinfulness of the world around us. 

PETER’S RESTORATION

Christian Life, ,

PETER’S RESTORATION

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’” John21:15, (NIV).

Have you ever worried that you have sinned yourself out of God’s plan for your life?

That’s probably what Peter thought after he had denied Jesus and fled from the scene of his Master’s crucifixion. He went back to fishing together with some of his buddies. Perhaps he thought, “I’ve blown it, so I might as well go back to the old life and forget about this ‘call’ thing.”

I find it fascinating – the way Jesus handled it. 

It was on the beach that He had met Peter the first time and called him to follow Him.  Peter and his business colleagues had been fishing all night – caught nothing. Jesus arrived on the scene and gave them a crazy instruction: “Go back, in broad daylight, and throw in your nets again.” They knew it wouldn’t work but they did it anyway and the result was startling. Jesus’ word had driven the fish into the net and Peter knew he was dealing with no ordinary man. On the strength of that he responded to Jesus’ call, “Follow me.”

Then Peter messed up and thought his life as a disciple was over.

Same place, same scene.  Once again, the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. Now they couldn’t even do what they were supposed to do best catch fish. Imagine how dejected they must have felt. How did Peter feel? He couldn’t be a disciple and now he couldn’t even fish. 

A lone figure stands on the beach in the early morning.  “Caught anything?” He calls.  “Nothing,” they call back. “Throw in your nets on the right side of the boat.” There is a familiar ring to that instruction. Right side? No, wrong side! Fish don’t swim into nets there.  But they do it anyhow. Again, Jesus word drives the fish into their nets and John cries out in recognition, “It’s the Master!”

Something stirs in Peter’s memory.  It was in a moment just like this that Jesus called him to follow Him. Perhaps…If only…

After breakfast they walk along the beach and Jesus quietly takes Peter aside. Peter waits for the bomb to explode but instead, Jesus stops, looks him in the eyes and asks, three times, “Peter, do you love me?”  Not, “Why did you do it?” or “What’s your problem, man?” but “Do you love me?”

Is that all that matters to Jesus?  Yes. He is not interested in why you blew it. He isn’t surprised either because He knew you’d fail before you ever did it. All that matters is, do you love Him? All He needs is that reassurance from your mouth. It’s easy to answer, either “Yes” or “No”.

“Peter, do you truly love me?  Then follow me.”  That’s all you need.

KEEP MY COMMANDS

Christian Life, ,

KEEP MY COMMANDS

If you love me, keep my commands (John 14:15).

The fourth requirement of a disciple is obedience.

The concept of “keeping” the commandments means much more than obeying them. In Hebrew thought, to keep meant to remember and preserve as well as observe. To preserve meant to uphold and to keep intact. Israel was to live as a community.

The commandments or “Torah” – God’s teachings or instructions for living, were God’s constitution to preserve the community. It had a two-way focus – their attitude towards God and their attitude towards one another. By being faithful to God’s teaching, they were not only preserving their own lives but also the well-being of the entire nation.

Jesus gave His disciples a “new” commandment on the eve of His death – ‘that you love one another as I have loved you.’ This commandment was not new in the sense that they had never heard it before. Love for one another was embedded in the greatest commandment; to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and to love their neighbour as themselves. All 613 commandments in the Torah fleshed out the greatest commandment by practically applying it practically in all the circumstances of their lives.

Jesus drew the attention of His disciples to the greatest motivation for observing and upholding God’s commands – love for Him. His mission included the revelation of the true nature of God – not the rigid disciplinarian they had recreated Him to be, but a loving and gracious Father who set boundaries around their lives so that they could live safe, happy and free lives within those boundaries.

Unfortunately, the religious “Gestapo” had set up their own boundaries which were so unrealistic and restrictive that the people groaned under the weight of ridiculous rules. Fear of failure replaced real love for God. Some tried in vain to appease Him by rigidly sticking to the letter of the law. Others gave up and lived lawless lives. Jesus offered rest to those who were tired of trying to carry the burden of the religious yoke. His yoke, He said, was easy and His burden was light.

What was His yoke? Summed up in one word, His yoke was love.

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13: 34-35)

When He spoke those words to His disciples in the upper room, He swept aside all petty manmade and irrelevant rules and focused on the heart of God – love. If love directed their lives instead of religion, they would observe, preserve and uphold what God wanted them to do in every circumstance and situation. They would not have to run to the book to find out what to do. They would worship God alone and contribute to the unity of their community at the same time.

Why did Jesus call love a “new” commandment? It was not new in the sense that Jesus had thought up something that had never been known. It was “new” in the sense that He was calling them back to God’s original intention. We could use the word “renewed” instead of “new”. In the religious climate in which they lived, heart and motivation were buried under a load of rules. Jesus called them back to what God had created in the beginning – people who related to and loved Him as their Father and each other as family.

However, that’s not the end of the story. It’s all very well commanding us to love one another, but how do we do it when our basic nature is selfish and greedy? Jesus made a promise to His disciples and to all who follow Him that He would give them the Holy Spirit to live in them and to transform their hearts so that they would have the power to obey Him. The Holy Spirit would replace Jesus’ presence on earth as His “other self”, one exactly like Him who would lead them into truth, reveal Jesus to them and remind them of His teachings.

It can’t get better than that! Jesus living within, working in us, transforming us into His image, teaching us how to be true sons! The Holy Spirit enables us, as we respond in obedience to His promptings, to follow, learn, imitate, and obey our rabbi in a process of ever-increasing maturity. What other so-called “god” can do that!

Obedience to our Master is not an impossible and beyond-our-reach demand. Jesus would never ask us to do what He does not empower us to obey. After Pentecost, His disciples lived out His command to the extent that, despite intense persecution, the church grew because people were attracted by their love.

Nothing is impossible for us to obey with the Holy Spirit within. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus, lives in those who believe in Him.

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.