Title: Love one another (John 13:34-35)
Contents
There are three major expressions of God in the Bible. The first is ‘God is light’ (1 John 1:5), the second is ‘God is a Spirit’ (John 4:24), and the third is ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). The Bible is a book that reveals these three attributes of God. Above all, God wants us to live a life of love because He is love. Through love, we can become like God. Love is the most fundamental of all God's commands. Paul said, “The whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14).
But it is not easy for us to learn to love without selfishness. Because love is the exact opposite of our self-centered nature. So we have to learn to love throughout our lives. God wants us to love everyone, but He especially wants us to love each other more. Paul said, “Therefore, whenever we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). The reason God wants believers to love each other is because God wants people to know how believers love each other. Jesus also said that the most important evidence of becoming a member of the family of God is to show the world that we love each other rather than moral values or doctrines (verse 35).
As we learned in the last lesson, we will live forever as God's family in heaven, so we need to practice and prepare while we live on this earth. The most important preparation is learning and practicing how to love each other. You cannot learn to love alone. You have to learn and practice how to love while living with people who are annoying, incomplete, and annoying.
love is the best life
Love should be a believer's number one priority, and it should be their supreme goal. It's not optional, it's mandatory. He said, “Ask ye for the greater gift, and I will show you the best way” (12:31). In 1 Corinthians 13, the famous love chapter, there are 'tongues like angels', 'power to prophesy', 'faith enough to move mountains', and 'giving one's body to fire, the culmination of salvation'. Even if they did, they said, 'Without love, there is nothing' (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Jesus summarized what God considers important in two words: “To love God and to love people.” ‘Jesus said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. He taught us that the most important thing in our life is to learn how to love God (worship) first, and then learn to love others.
The most important thing in life is not success or achievement, but good relationships. Even so, people don't value relationships. Because they care more about the urgent than the important. It means that even though there is nothing more important than loving God and loving our neighbors, we are more interested in the urgent issues we see right now, such as money problems, health problems, and children's problems. But what we must keep in mind is that without love in our lives, nothing is left. Don't forget that love has the best value.
love is forever
As the saying goes, ‘Therefore, faith, hope, love, these three things will always exist, but the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is eternal. Love is the greatest legacy. Because it is not our wealth or achievements that affect the world the most, but how much we loved people. Mother Teresa said, "It's not what we do that matters, it's how much love we put into it."
Seeing what people look for when they die makes us realize how precious the relationships we had while we were alive. As you take your last breath, do not say, “Bring your doctoral degree certificate, the medal you received from the president, and bring your house or land documents.” They are looking for their beloved wife or husband, and they are desperately looking for their son or their parents. Last but not least, I want to hold your hand one more time, and I want to hear your voice one more time. Therefore, you should build good relationships in love with as many people as you can.
The love relationship between Sir Churchill, former British Prime Minister, and Dr. Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, teaches us a lesson today. Please don't forget that love is not a one-way relationship, but a relationship of giving and receiving.
love is giving
God wants us to mature spiritually, and one of the measures by which it is measured is love. When we stand before the final judgment seat, God does not require a bank account, a successful job, or a high position or honor in the world. Instead, I ask how I dealt with other people, especially those who wanted to help me. In Matthew 25:34-46, Jesus said that the way we usually love Him is to love those around us and to meet their practical needs. “I tell you the truth, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
When we enter the kingdom of God, we leave everything behind on this earth. There is only one thing that we take with us, the quality of love. Regarding this, Paul said, “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any effect, except faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Therefore, we should devote a lot of time to doing love. Time is a precious gift we receive from God. You can make more money, but not more time. So, if we invest our time in someone or something, we are giving a precious part of our life that we will never get back. As such, time is the most valuable gift we can invest in anyone or anything.
Anyone who recognizes the importance of a relationship should be able to invest valuable time in making it more beautiful. The essence of love is not what we think, but how much we give. The greatest gift you can give to someone is yourself. Jesus Himself demonstrated this fact. “Walk in love, just as Christ loved you, who gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).
We can give something without loving, but we cannot love without giving. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Love means giving up. True love is the willingness to yield the things I like comfort, abundance, security, time, money for the good of others and the Church.
For the rest of your life, spend your time and yourself generously with someone other than yourself, or on something precious. No matter how busy you are, think of it as giving to the elderly and God on the morning of the Seniors College. That is love.
The better the day, the sooner it should be done without delay. That's why Paul said, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to the families of the faith" (Galatians 6:10) and said, "Use every opportunity to do good." The Old Testament also says, “If your hand has the strength to do good, do not spare to do it to those who deserve it” (Proverbs 3:27).
Now is the best time to show love. You never get a chance to practice love. Circumstances change from time to time. Even if we have a tomorrow, it may not be mine. Parents are not always with them, and children leave them when they grow up. If we want to love, we have to do it now. The most beautiful way to live life is to love. The best way to show love is to take your time. When we, God's family, love each other, the world sees this and gives glory to God, and we can enter the community of faith. Please keep in mind once again that the symbol of Christianity is love.