“AS I HAVE LOVED YOU…”

One of the most toughest of all things is to love the other person, as the Word of God asks of us. Jesus, speaking to His disciples about the kingdom of God, and the principles upon which it has been founded, and which are expected to be followed by all who wish to follow Him, reveals the core of the kingdom, and all that is there to it – LOVE – the AGAPE LOVE!

Jesus says – “12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” – John 15:12. A little earlier in John 13:34-35 Jesus says – “34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” In other words, LOVE is the distinct identifying trait of a follower of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Jesus links our love, to our obedience to Him in John 14:15 – “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Jesus further emphasises the importance of our love for God and our obedience to Him – “23…If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” – John 14:23-24. The link being drawn is deliberate and intentional, to highlight the significance of our love to our obedience to God.

Our love for God is seen in our obedience to Him, and in we keeping His Words – not just listening, but doing – not merely professing our faith, but actually practicing what we believe.

“37…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. “ – Matthew 22:37-40