Jesus Command: Love One Another
Many think today that we automatically love one another, as a natural result of being a follower of Jesus Christ and having God’s Spirit within us. Do you agree with this? Let’s see what the word of God says. First let’s examine these Scriptures:
John 15:12—Jesus Christ said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another.”
John 15:14—“You are My friends, if you do what I command you.”
John 15:17—“This I command you, that you love one another.”
Hebrews 10:24—Let us stimulate and provoke one another to love.
1 John 3:10-11—Anyone who does not practice righteousness for God, or anyone who does not love his brother, remains a child of the devil. This is the message we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:14—We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love each other (the brethren). Anyone who does not love those who are living for God, abides in death.
1 John 3:16-19—We know we love those, who are living for God, if we would lay down our lives for each other. Whoever sees his brother or sister in need and closes his heart against them, how does the love of God abide in him? Let us not love in word but in deed (good works). We will know by this that we are of the truth and we will assure our hearts before God.
1 John 3: 23—And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as Jesus commanded us.
1 John 4:7-8—Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God (born again) and knows God. The one who does not love his brothers and sisters who live for God, does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:11-13—Beloved, if God loved us, we also ought to love one another. If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. This is how we know we abide in Him and He in us. We know also He has given us His Spirit.
1 John 4:16-21—God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how love is perfected in us. We will have confidence in the day of judgment, because as Jesus lived, we also live like Him in this world. There is no guilt or fear in love, but perfect love casts out all guilt or fear, because the one who fears or feels guilty is not perfected in love. We love, because He loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” and does not love his brother, he hates his brother; he is a liar, for the one who does not love those who live to please God daily, whom he has seen and knows, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brothers and sisters who love God also.
1 John 5:2-3—By this we know that we love those whom God has called, when we love God and keep His commands. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and they are not hard to keep.
2 John 4-5—I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. And now I ask you, lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
3 John 11—The one who does good is from God.
How do you love one another?
Share with others, and thus learn how to share (Acts 2:45-46; Titus 3:14; 1 Tim. 6:18). Love each other with God’s love, that He will give you liberally. Show kindness to others (Prov. 14:22). Pray for others continually and from the heart (1 Thess. 5:17). Say only good of others, always giving the benefit of any doubt (Eph. 4:29, Luke 6:31). Be genuine and complimentary to others (Luke 6:45). If you know someone who is sick or going through an illness, send them a note of encouragement or a small gift to show them love (Prov. 19:6; Acts 9:36). Open the door for someone, buy someone a cup of coffee, let someone go ahead of you in line (Prov. 11:25; Phil. 2:4; 1 Cor. 10:24). Go to nursing homes and cheer up the lonely for God. This will make the widow’s heart leap for joy (Job 29:13). Show hospitality to the elderly, the blind or crippled, and fulfill Jesus’ commands (Luke 14:13). There is so much good we can do, it’s really exciting. “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good” (2 Thess. 3:13).
In closing, follow the same advice that the apostle Paul gave the people of God in Macedonia: For indeed you do practice love toward all your brothers, but I urge you brethren to excel still more and do not get weary in doing good for God’s glory (1 Thess. 4:10; 2 Thess. 3:13). Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:16).