When you think of a company like Apple, you tend to think of the devices they manufactured. When you think of Barnes and Nobles, you would know that they’re selling books (physically and electronically). When you think of the best NFL team, you automatically know it’s the San Francisco 49ers! When you see logos of sports teams and companies, you are able to recall their identity and even their reputations.
What about us? What is our character that people see in us? What is our identity? What about our reputations? Jesus Christ gave us a command in John 13:34-35, “A new command 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.” How does Jesus love us? Paul tells us how He loves us, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25). The new command is to love one another, but not just loving generally but loving sacrificially to the place of death. As you can see there will never be true reconciliation between you and the person who you are angry with. Biblically there’s never a true reconciliation apart from someone. All of us can be driven by our emotions and we reacted to it and said or did things that we shouldn’t have. You may say, “I’m innocent.” So was Jesus. Or you can say, “But I’m right.” So was Jesus. Your argument may be that you’re correct and they’re wrong. However, you can be right and yet you can be so wrong. The commandment that Jesus gave us is to die in our pride, our complaints, our position, our proof etc… We need to humble ourselves, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Jon Courson stated-When you love like Jesus, some people will respond and there will be reconciliation. However, some may continue to spit and curse and mock- even as they did to Jesus as He was in the very act of dying for their sins. But if we are to love as Jesus loved, like Him, we’ll pray, “Father, forgive them. They just don’t know what they’re doing.” “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,” said Jesus (John 13:35). When you love like He does, you love to the point of death. Click here to read Part 1 "One Another"
2 Comments
Jason Edelman
11/15/2015 05:55:13 pm
Love one another what a great world it would be if we all followed what Jesus says! There's to much hate and grudge holding between people these days. I know through out my life I have learned to try my best to forgive others. Let things go when it could get out of control. I used to be terrible in these ways, but Christ has shown me otherwise! It's the toughest to love our enemies truly. We can say we do, but do you really have love for your enemies? Like the post above says Jesus was praying for those who destroyed His sacred flesh for them and us to be forgiven. So amazing it was what Jesus went through for us. Don't mean to get off the main topic, but He made us in all His likeness and let us falsely persecute Him and fasley crucify Him to save us. I wonder if I were in the crowd that day would I have yelled crucify Him or save Him? It's easy for a Christian to say now what they would of said, but in the moment not knowing truly if He is the Messiah what I would have been yelling? It comes back to what kind of person you are. I believe that I would of said save Him because of how wrong it all would of felt. So back to the main topic it comes down to what kind of heart you have. A heart for Our Lord Jesus Christ or a heart that's in to worldly things. I like the saying "If I were put on trial and the accusation was I'm a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict me". I would hope so! Loving one another will always test us and loving your enemies even more but if you truly love Christ you know you can love and forgive anyone. It's in the saying "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"! So I believe loving one another of course is essential and no matter if things are good or bad between you and someone Christ will ALWAYS guide you through it!
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Adetunji Niyi
2/15/2016 12:32:14 pm
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