WHERE'S THE LOVE?

Jesus said in John 13:34-35, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

So, based on this Scripture, I ask WHERE'S THE LOVE?  Many of the professing Christians I come in contact with barely like other believers let alone love them.  Some professing Christians simply cannot stand one another for whatever reason.  Is this God?  Is this the work of the Holy Spirit?

The reality is the Christian is commanded to love other Christians in a special way (as Jesus has loved us) whether or not they are "members" of one's particular church or denomination.  (Most of you who have been reading my blog for any period of time know how I feel about denominational labels).

I believe its important to point out that loving all true Christians, including those who are not of our local assembly doesn't mean that we must compromise our particular beliefs or doctrinal differences.  Nor does it mean we must necessarily seek an organizational unity.  This is merely excess baggage that so many tend to haul around.  All this excess baggage does is weigh us down and make us weary.  We must always remain true to God's Word.

If we have the proper love for God, we'll have the proper love for one another.  Instead of being judgmental and critical, we'll show mercy and grace as we love our brothers and sisters with an unconditional God-kind of love.  We don't have to agree with one another on everything, but we are commanded by Jesus, Himself, to love one another as He has loved us.  By doing so, we show everyone we are His disciples.

This God-kind of love is a distinguishing mark of those who are disciples of Jesus.  By the way, there is a difference between being a follower and a disciple of Jesus.  Perhaps we'll get into that in a future blog post.  This agape love that we are to have for one another is a self-giving and sacrificial love which seeks the good of another.  Therefore, the relationship between all believers should be characterized by a devoted concern which seeks to promote the highest good of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Many have a hard time being selfless. 

If we have this love for others we will be there for one another during the tough times.   We'll be there for one another during the trials that come.  We'll be mindful of each other's feelings and reputations.  We'll even deny ourselves to promote another's welfare.

So again, I ask, WHERE'S THE LOVE?  Do you show this God-kind of love for others?  Is this love unconditional?  Just something to think about as we continue on our journey with Jesus.

Until next time...enjoy the journey!

Ray

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