Good Morning Friends,
“And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a
new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one
another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you
have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John
1:5-6)
Love is important to God.
The command to love others was not something
radically new that came when Christ came into the world. Since the very
beginning it has been the will of God that those who know Him love others.
You can see that command expressed time and
again in the Old Testament. Even the Ten Commandments demonstrate how important
loving others is to God as several of the commands deal directly with treating
others in ways that demonstrate we care about them.
Jesus came into a world that had largely
forgotten God’s command to love others. Even among the Jews that command was
only followed by the letter of the Law, not by the change of heart that God
really desired to see in His people. Jesus came to show man what it means to
love others and how much love is willing to sacrifice for others. Jesus was the
perfect illustration of a life lived according to God’s will and above all else
how Jesus lived reflected a life of love.
After Jesus ascended to heaven, John and the
other apostles spread the word of Jesus to the world and that word included
this command, as old as the world itself, that those who follow God must love
others. How we love others is an indication of how much we love God. How we love
others is a demonstration of our obedience to God. How we love others is an
indication of how well we are following Jesus and how much we are becoming like
Him.
Love is important to God. He demonstrates
perfect love in His relationship with us. He challenges us to show love to
those around us as a reflection of how His character is becoming a part of our
lives.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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