IF You Have Love For One Another (Part 2)

 

John 13:34-35

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Can you love your brother or sister in Christ, when they disagree with you? When they tell you the truth about yourself and expose your sin? 

Can you love a homless man or woman off the street who wants to get to know Jesus? How about if they ask to come into your home for some food and a shower? 

How about a prostitute, who's looking to change her lifestyle, can you genuinely love and help her without judging her?

Jesus loved like this and much more! He touched the lepers and the sick, the blind and the lame. He loved smelly fishermen and Mary Magdalene, out of whom He cast seven devils!

And the greatest love of all, He sacrificed Himself for ALL humanity that we might be redeemed from our fallen state, that we might be cleansed from a life of unrighteousness and sin!!!

And while upon the cross itself, after being beaten beyond recognition, He cried out and said Father forgive them, for they know not what they do!!

That is the Love Jesus is commanding His disciples to have for one another!! My goodness that's a high standard!! Help your people to reach it Lord!!

The leperous man in Matthew 8:1-4 experienced the love of Jesus.

"When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Peter, experienced the love of Jesus in Luke 5:4-8

"When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

The un-named woman who was likely a prostitute also experienced the great love of Jesus in:

Luke 7:36-39, 44-50

"Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

This is the love the disciples of Jesus are commanded to have for one another!!

How can this be? Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord!!!

In Christ,

Tyrone

The Greatest Love Of ALL!

We've all heard Marvin Gaye's song "What's Going On", and the lyric in the song that say's 'only love can conquer hate', and that's absolutely true, but Marvin didn't give us the whole truth! The word of God tells us that love NEVER FAILS! Wow!

Whitney Houston sang the song, "The Greatest Love Of All", and in that song she said 'the greatest love of all is easy to achieve, learning to love your self is the greatest love of all'. Well I'm here to tell you that God's love is the GREATEST love of all! And there is nothing greater! God's love was made manifest in the body and life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 

Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The greatest Love of all took upon Himself the sins of the whole world so that we might be able to have a connection with God again, that we may be forgiven of our sins and commune with our Creator. Jesus faced the devil and every evil of His present day and love triumphed over it all! Only Jesus could be hanging on a wooden cross after having been beaten beyond recognition, having His beard pulled out and a crown of thorns beaten into His head and be able to say, 'Father forgive them for they know not, what they do'. Only through the genuine and pure love of God could that be possible. 

The greatest Love that stood before His betrayer and called him, 'friend', even knowing that Judas would betray Him long before it happened, Jesus still loved him until the end, even washing his feet! Are we able to love like that? Is it possible for a human being to love like Jesus did? I believe so! Would it be easy to love your betrayer? Or forgive those who were about to murder you, or a family member? Of course not! Only the love of God filling up your heart, could make that possible.

Jesus said, in John 15:13 

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

And we know that's exactly what Jesus did! Not only for His disciples, but for the whole world!

Truly the Love of God is most assuredly the GREATEST love of all!

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." 

In The Love Of God,

Tyrone