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John 13:33-35 informs us with incredibly important and instructive words from the very mouth of Jesus Christ to His disciples in this scripture: “Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’, so now I say to you. 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”.
This passage from the Bible was physically spoken to the apostles while in the presence of Jesus when He lived on earth. All these years later the message remains the same as it is timeless. That is the beauty of divinely inspired writing from God. Many of you would know that the apostles were disciples or students of Jesus and reinforced His teaching about the coming Kingdom of God which will soon be ushered in when Christ returns to earth. About two thousand years later we know that by extension Christ is also speaking to His children, the called out ones from the world, His firstfruits, who are His modern day disciples now. Are we really listening?
When we take up our hymnal and sing the hymn entitled “By This Shall All Men Know” during Sabbath services as part of the body of Christ while scattered around the world, do we sing with gusto or heartfelt passion while deeply thinking about these words? Do we sing joyfully and meaningfully to our most wonderful and awesome Father or just go through the motions? Have things become routine? Do we mean the words we sing? Are we concentrating? Are we singing with our First Love as we sing this love song? And do we strive to live by these words? There is never a better time than the present to examine what we do, why we do it, and how we need to improve. There is always room for improvement as we strive to become more and more like our elder brother who died so selflessly for us by suffering the most cruel death imaginable. Are we growing and transforming daily to emulate Christ’s love for us?
We should be because God tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”.
Clearly, love is the greatest, without which we are not like God. The following scriptures all speak of Godly love of which we are all learning to practice. There will be times we make mistakes, may like to do some things over again, or get a second chance. The most important thing is to ask God for help and keep going, never give up, and try our best. Thankfully God knows our hearts and minds, and our intentions towards others. We can easily get things wrong with our carnal human nature by thinking with our eyes that what we see may paint a certain picture but we can be so wrong. Our enemy wants us to be suspicious of one another and accuse the other person of wrongdoing. We must not fall into this trap which can so easily ensnare us. Instead let us all resolve to be patient with one another and give each other the benefit of the doubt.
1 John 4:1-21 LOVE FOR GOD AND ONE ANOTHER
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
KNOWING GOD THROUGH LOVE
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
SEEING GOD THROUGH LOVE
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
THE CONSUMMATION OF LOVE
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
OBEDIENCE BY FAITH
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also”.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO GOD’S DISCIPLES
God is patiently waiting for us, His virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) to wake up out of our slumber to ensure our vessels are full of His oil — His Holy Spirit — so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil and the mass confusion that will be taken to new levels especially for God’s children as we know the rest of the world is already deceived big time. This message is not a light one. It is big and there are huge ramifications. Ask yourself this…Am I still teachable? Do I ask God daily for a new heart like King David? Do I pray daily most fervently with heartfelt desire seeking God’s will in EVERYTHING? Are my prayers meaningful and original rather than repetitive content spoken in order to get the job done? Or do I really mean what I say and spill “my guts” out entirely thereby revealing all, rather than holding something back from my heavenly Father? Are we fasting regularly as we ought to be? These questions are just as much for the writer as they are for you. Of course we all need to be humble. There really is no room for pride nor time to waste.
This is such an urgent matter and it needs to be conveyed strongly. This message is not for the faint-hearted nor for those who want things said with fluff or padding so that the message is delivered how they like it. One of the best ways God’s teachers, writers, ministers, or prophets can serve the brethren out of love is to deliver God’s inspired message intact how God wants it delivered. Some messages will be strong and given with authority while others may be very easy to listen to when we need strong encouragement or edification. Delivering strong messages to anyone who does not want to hear them is not a pleasant fun job to do nor does anyone put their hand up to do it. But if God asks you to do something such as writing articles then you need to do it to the best of your ability no matter how people receive His message. This year 2020 is like no other and there can be no doubt that God is trying to get our attention NOW — to wake up and get very serious. So let us love one another by appreciating each other and the talents and gifts we all have.