I have noticed on SI that very few people ever mention John's accounts of Jesus telling His followers to [i]love one another[i]differently
This omission in our thinking (if it is an omission), or, we don't mention it when we write for fear of sounding... well... perhaps a little [i]over[i]my paraphrase
What of it? Does it matter, and if so, how and to whom does it matter most - us as believers, God, the world, or the Church - or, all four equally?
Well, Miss Linny, I may not talk about it much, but I [i]think
I quickly discovered, as I began to honestly look at my own life, that I really didn't love God or anyone else. Mostly, I just loved myself. I think it's our sinful nature to be enemies of God and to be all about ourselves.
So, in answer, I think, to your question of whether we, as believers are more obligated to love other believers, I don't see what difference it makes. If we could just strive to care enough about someone else to consider them better than ourself it would be quite an accomplishment and I'm sure, a major breakthrough in the spirit.
Just pick someone. Anyone. and love them. Let's all just focus on one person for awhile and let's make it someone that we really would rather not love. Let's make it someone that we're ready to give up on and let's just decide to devote ourselves to loving that person unconditionally for the rest of our lives and then see how we feel in about 5 years.
Diane is right and I think she reflects in many ways all of us. You see, Jesus said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, by the Love you have toward one another. Love costs us something tangible. It takes from our pocket book, it extracts from our personality character qualities which must been seen in life, felt by unbelievers and believers alike, but the rewards of such a love is a clear conscience before God, it is that place where God's grace like a garment covers our faults and hides our naked souls. I have often said to my friends that our love toward God is never so evident as when we chose to love God over sin (repentance) and we are never more godlike than when we chose to forgive our brother or sister thier trespasses and allow our love to cover a multitude of sins. God IS Love and like God we are to condition all we say and do with that same characteristic of God type love toward not only thoughs within the fellowship of believers but also thoughs without. Good observation sis! Good thread.
Dorcas, I think you raise an excellent point. Of course, it gets tricky sorting this out when love can mean just about anything - through our chronic casual use of the word.
I get the overall impression from the epistles that Paul is deeply concerned that the believers love (ie, care) for each other first and foremost. It is the essential glue of the Body – it preserves and strengthens it.
In other words, if I stab my brother, I damage the entire body, including myself. If I love (ie, build up, etc) my brother, I strengthen the entire body.
If we have a weak Body caused by defficient love, we also have a weak testimony. I’d say that our love for the lost is reflected in our love (ie, care/nurture, edify, etc) for each other. After all, the Body is the light of the world.
PS, as I browse for a verse, I realize that you could encapsulate just about any Biblical admonition with the words “love one another”.
“Father, make us one, that the world may know thou hast sent thy son.” Jn. 17
Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth” Eph. 5:8
Now, that was sure easy to say....... but doing?
Diane
Galations 6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. :-)
by this shall all men know that you are my disciples
Had this verse crossing the thoughts earlier today reading across the postings. Difficult to not bring in the negative connotation but that is what triggered it ...
Quite often there is the dueling or out dueling of doctrinal emphasis and this most important attribute goes by the sidelines. It is sometimes tacked on as it were in a mean no harm sort of way or 'yeah, but ...' to further an argument and distance the matter. It is the ramifications put out to pasture, out of sight and yet what a better place than right here to have this put to the very test. The very words we use are marking us as we go, telling us, spelling us to whoever may be peering into these things, to our own kind and the greatest wonder is ... a line that jumped out at me earlier from G.W. North (though unrelated); 'Under surveillance'.
All of sudden the Lords words take on a more striking and demanding quality to them, not only that they will 'know' but [i]that you are [b]my disciples
It is love that drives everything that I do here and how almost trite it sounds to say that, almost boastful. It pains to see the barbing and bitterness, the whole long list of James notated attributes that can fuel things. It is beyond emotion and profoundly spiritual, sentimentalism has it's place when it's earnest and real, but how tainted is our love, to one another?
I think perhaps we are more embarrassed to admit our true love to one another sometimes or maybe because there is a lack of consideration to the depth of it. It is far easier to leap up and into controversy and commotion, to oneupmanship and force of opinion, the more cerebral abilities of knowledge and study ... All this is very much just coming almost against my particular feelings at the moment, maybe better than when the emotions are more entwined.
It is a tremendous question, ... 'My disciples'
Thanks to all who replied to this thread originally.
I am grateful to find Christ's new commandment being given some coverage in other threads.
The more 'the church' (small c) accommodates itself to 'the world' which both Jesus and John recognise as the enemy of the cross, the more the Church (capital c) must become not only different, but separate from the world... Not only by creed proclaimed, but also by its true worship of the Lamb and Christ-like lifestyle.
Greg posted these a wile back, couldent find the original post but i saved this on my computer. I think it fits nicely in here
Dealing with one another
I don't know who compiled these "One Anothers," but they illustrate how important our relationships are with people. All of the "book knowledge" in the world can't replace the value of our one-on-one relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Knowing how we ought to behave is quite different from actually doing it.
be at peace with one another (Mark 9:50)
wash one another's feet (John 13:14)
love one another (John 13:34)
love one another (John 13:35)
love one another (John 15:12)
love one another (John 15:17)
you are members of one another (Rom. 12:5)
be devoted to one another in love (Rom. 12:10)
honor one another above yourselves (Rom 12:10)
live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16)
love one another (Rom. 13:8)
stop passing judgment on one another (Rom. 14:13)
edify one another (Rom. 14:19)
be like minded one toward another (Rom. 15:5)
admonish one another (Rom. 15:14)
greet one another with a holy kiss (Rom. 16:16)
wait for one another (1Cor. 11:33)
have the same care for one another (1Cor. 12:25)
greet one another with a holy kiss (1Cor. 16:20)
greet one another with a holy kiss (2Cor. 13:12)
serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13)
bear with one another in love (Eph. 4:2)
speak truth for we are members of one another (Eph. 4:25)
be kind and compassionate to one another (Eph. 4:32)
submit to one another (Eph. 5:21)
do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9)
bear with one another (Col. 3:13)
forgive one another (Col. 3:13)
abound in love toward one another (1Th. 3:12)
love one another (1Th. 4:9)
comfort one another (1Th. 4:18)
incite one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24)
encourage one another (Heb. 10:25)
do not speak evil of one another (Jas. 4:11)
do not make complaints against one another (Jas. 5:9)
confess your sins to one another (Jas. 5:16)
pray for one another (Jas. 5:16)
love one another deeply, from the heart (1Pet. 1:22)
offer hospitality to one another (1Pet. 4:9)
clothe yourselves with humility toward one another (1Pet. 5:5)
greet one another with a kiss of love (1Pet. 5:14)
have fellowship with one another (1Jn. 1:7)
love one another (1Jn. 3:11)
love one another (1Jn. 3:23)
love one another (1Jn. 4:7)
love one another (1Jn. 4:11)
love one another (1Jn. 4:12)
love one another (2Jn. 5)
I also have been challenged recently by the verses related to loving one another and have had to recognize the lovelessness for others in my own life. It is demonstrated through an unwillingness to give of my time and sometimes by just being too wrapped up in my own life and it’s drama to take time to be involved in the lives of others.
When I read in the book of Acts about the early church and the fellowship they enjoyed with one another, sharing with other another, not only their possessions but their lives, the inconsistency of my life to the example given us in Scripture is painfully obvious.
It has crossed my mind more than once recently, that should we indeed experience the persecution for our faith that many in other nations experience, if our churches were closed down, or if our nation experienced some type of disaster that made it physically impossible to gather with other believers, how precious would our times of fellowship be then? How intense would our love for one another become in not only the depth of emotion but the outward demonstration of it, when it is no longer something we can take for granted as accessible upon demand?
May the Lord teach us to value it now.
Love you brothers and sisters. For real.
Danielle
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