Love

This week, we will delve into 1 John 2:7-11, exploring the profound command to love one another. Reflecting on these verses, we see a beautiful and challenging call to live out our faith in practical ways. We’ll focus on the practical application of this love, empowering us to demonstrate our faith in our relationships and actions. Here's a brief overview of what we'll journey through this week:

We will begin by looking at the "old commandment" John referenced, which is rooted in the teachings of Jesus and even in the Old Testament. Specifically, we see this in Leviticus 19:18, which says, "Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself, I am Yahweh." John reminds his readers of the importance of this foundational commandment to love one another, which has been with us since the beginning of our Christian walk. Leviticus 19 shows us that God intended His people to love—not merely to perform religious rites and follow moralistic rules, but to love people. Jesus prioritized the command to love over every other command. Somebody asked Jesus, “Which command is the most important?” Jesus answered: “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these” (Mark 12:28–31).

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love people. How do we demonstrate holiness? We love God, and we love people. Sure, we don’t participate in the sins of the world, but we also love the people in the world. The Bible does not describe love as a feeling, and God does not command us to fall in or out of love. Our culture speaks of love as a feeling, but God refers to love as obedience to a command. Feelings come and go, but our love for God and people remains constant as a matter of obedience, and God holds us accountable as to whether we behave lovingly. What if our love runs dry? Where do we get the power to obey God’s command to love? Romans 5:5 says, “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” That’s another way God makes us holy. He pours His holy love into our hearts; we get the strength to love all people at all times from God Himself. This commandment is not new in time but is new in character. Because of Jesus, the old commandment to "love one another" takes on new meaning. Jesus opens our eyes to the true meaning and reach of this command.

While the command to love is old, it has also become new through Jesus. John emphasizes that the commandment isn't new at its core, but in Christ, we now fully understand what love means. Jesus shows us the truest love by laying down His life. As John likely recalls, Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." This love serves love, as Jesus demonstrated by washing His disciples' feet. It is sanctifying love, symbolizing cleansing and forgiveness. And it is steadfast love, as Jesus loved His own to the very end, despite their flaws and failures.

We will explore how loving others directly reflects our relationship with God. John emphasizes that we cannot walk in the light with God while harboring hatred or discord with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our love for others must be evident in our actions, demonstrating the truth of our faith. How we walk with our fellow believers directly indicates our relationship with God. We can’t walk in the light with God and in darkness with a brother or sister in Christ. Those two realities aren’t compatible. We can’t say we love God and do not demonstrate that love to others. We can’t say we love God on Sundays but put Him out of mind on Monday at the office. We can’t claim to follow God and then treat those different from us as less than.

We will reflect on how John makes it clear that our words alone are insufficient; our actions must align with what we profess to believe. This is not just a suggestion, but a responsibility we bear to truly abide in Christ and reflect His love to the world. Our lives are to be a response to the reality of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us. Everything we say and do should reflect the person and work of Christ. What we say we believe must be matched with our actions. Our theology is meaningless if we don’t put it into practice. John makes clear the practical means of walking in the light of Christ. We do what He says! That’s how we abide with Him—as we are walking, we do the things He has commanded.

We will conclude with reflection, considering how Jesus redefines our understanding of love. We will be challenged to identify areas where we struggle to love others and where we might be inclined to choose darkness over light. Through prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we seek to grow in love and walk more fully in the light of Christ.

This week will be a powerful reminder that love is at the heart of our faith. It's not just a concept but a way of life that should permeate every aspect of our interactions with others. We invite you to join us at church this Sunday as we continue to explore these themes and grow together in our walk with Christ.