Jesus commanded his followers to love one another.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13.34-35).
Believers may assume that they know what it means to “love one another.” Jesus didn’t leave it to chance.
Our love is to be “just as I have loved you.” Jesus is the standard and the example of loving others.
John was among the first people to hear Jesus’ command to love. He realized the importance of love and devoted a large amount of his letter to it.
For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (1 John 3.11).
Not as the World
Probably few concepts have been so misunderstood as that of love. Jesus wants our love to be like his and John doesn’t want us to imitate the shallow love of the world’s system.
Cain is one of the worst examples of the world’s concept of love.
We can believe that Cain felt some sort of love for someone, but that didn’t keep him from murder.
We must not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous (1 John 3.12).
People of the world may love their family members and friends, but that doesn’t keep them from hate.
Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you (1 John 3.13).
The world’s kind of love readily permits resentment, unforgiveness, hostility, and more. This is not the kind of love that God’s people are to imitate.
John contrasts the kind of love that is acceptable to the world with what Jesus is looking for.
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.
All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them (1 John 3.14-15).
Imitate a Jesus-kind-of-love.
Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13.34).
John picked up Jesus’ words and wrote about a Jesus-kind-of-love.
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters (1 John 3.16).
There are times when the ultimate sacrifice of love is a willingness to die for a loved one. Jesus did that for us and many have done the same out of love.
Most of us just have to take out the trash, fold the laundry, speak kind words, show tender affection, be willing to give and forgive, etc. to display love like Jesus.
Practical Application
If we want a gauge that measures our love, we can live the positive message of verse 17.
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? (1 John 3.17)
A Jesus-kind-of-love is open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and willing to help a person in need.
If the Spirit identifies a person as our assignment to show a Jesus-kind-of-love, then we will respond in the affirmative.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue our study of 1 John today. Our video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
Real Voices 