One of the "cries" of people today is for "relationships." People long for close friendships. Where did they get this "longing?" God made us for relationships. Humanity desires connections. Look at the proliferation of social networking. Although this is not a substitute for true relationships, it is a start for many people.
One recurring phrase in the New Testament is "one another." During the month of April we will present a different"one another" each day.
Why did God inspire many of the New Testament writers to emphasize this these? God made us for relationships and He knows if we would put these instructions into practice, the world would be completely different!
In my opinion, the most important "one another" is this: Love one another.
During the Last Supper, just before Jesus was crucified on the cross, He instructed his disciples:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."(John 13:34-35)
The only debt we should have is a debt of love!
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8-9)
1 Peter 1:22 “ Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
The disciple who has been called The Apostle of Love, John, wrote in his letters:
1 John 3:11-12 “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”
1 John 3:23-24 “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
1 John 4:7-12 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
2 John 4-6 “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (NIV)
The question for us today is how can I put this command into action in my life today?
Send me your ideas....ways in which you can put this into practice.
As you contemplate how you can "love one another," watch the video of the song text below:
Here is a song text based on the scriptures:
The Greatest Commands
Alto:Love one another, for love is of God.
He who loves is born of God;
And knows God.
He who does not love, does not know God,
For God is love, God is love, God is love.
Bass:
Love bears all things,
Believes all things,
Love hopes all things,
Endures all things.
Tenor:
God is love, God is love, God is love.
God is love, God is love, God is love.
God is love, God is love, God is love,
God is love, God is love, God is love.
Soprano:
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
With all thy soul, all thy strength,
All thy mind.
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
For God is love, God is love, God is love.
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