New Commandment
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
(John 13:34 ESV)
This verse I think is misunderstood sometimes. Many confuse it with the idea that it simply means the same as Matthew 22:39, “love your neighbor as yourself”, but I assure you that it is totally different. This verse calls Christians to an even higher standard. We are to love one another not just as ourselves, but as Christ has loved us.
In short, we are to love as Christ loves. As many times as we have heard this said, we automatically assume we fall short because we can never be like Christ. Although we do fall short, we must see for ourselves the signs of our shortcomings. Thus we would be able to gauge somewhat how loving we are towards one another. By doing so, we can see if we are becoming more and more loving or if our hearts are becoming more and more hard.
The test of our love and the measure of it is our actions. For Love shows itself through action. Romans 5:8 says it well.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:8 ESV)
God’s love for us expresses itself in his service of us. Our love is the same way. It will express itself in how we serve. To serve as Christ serves would be evidence of loving as Christ loves. And if we do not serve as Christ serves, we would know we do not love as Christ loves.
Now why do we not serve as Christ serves? We do not serve as Christ serves because we lack motivation; actions are always the results of proper motivations. So what is the motivation to serve? Our motivation to serve is love. And the reason we do not serve as Christ serves is because we do not love as Christ loves. John 3:16 clearly states this relationship.
[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16 ESV)
God so loved the world THAT he gave his only Son. Notice the relationship is a cause and effect. God did not act without motivation. God was so motivated by his love that it produced an action. Love is not just expressed through actions, but it is also the motivation of those actions.
Thus if we are not serving, it is because we are not motivated to serve, and if we are not motivated to serve, it is because we do not love. For if we loved, that love would manifest itself in deeds.
So how do we become lovers of our brothers and sisters in Christ? We simply become greater lovers of our God.
[36] “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” [37] And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:36-39 ESV)
In this passage there is a relationship between the two commands. The second is like the first it in that by obeying the first commandment, to love God, the second will follow naturally as a result. For we can not love God without that love leading us to love His children. And I will hold back from throwing 1 John verses at you and just tell you to read it yourself. It is a very short book.
So now the question is: How do we become lovers of God?
[19] We love because he first loved us.
(1 John 4:19 ESV)
Our love of God is a response to his love towards us. Thus we should strive to better comprehend the love of God, and by doing so we will come to love Him more. And as a result love his people more.
So where do we look to see the love of God? In the person and work of His Son.
[9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
(1 John 4:9 ESV)
So let us gaze upon Christ and his work, which is the manifestation of His great love towards us. And as we do, we will be transformed and become a more loving people who love God and love our brothers and sisters in Christ. For when we do, we will then serve one another as Christ serves as evidence of loving one another as Christ loves.
-Derek Harada