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Created to Love One Another

Feb 14, 2013
Jesus spent His last evening before the crucifixion reminding the disciples of essential principles. Kneeling to wash their feet, He gave them a new commandment—to love one another. In fact, over the course of the evening, He would repeat that phrase five times (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17). He emphasized the command because He knew it was not only critically important but also one of the toughest to obey.
Putting self-interest before the needs of others is what comes naturally. But since the believer’s old self has been crucified, God’s Spirit can live in and through him or her. Giving of ourselves on behalf of someone else fits who we are in Christ. In fact, we show God’s love best when we care for others—especially those who aren’t easy to love.
In Paul’s New Testament letters, he picked up Jesus’ “love one another” refrain and suggested specific ways to obey. He said to accept one another (Rom. 15:7), bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), be subject to one another (Eph. 5:21), and live in peace with one another (1 Thess. 5:13). In teaching churches and mentoring young pastors, Paul relied on the same principles Jesus taught: to love God and each other. That’s what it means to be a church that honors the Lord’s name and is attractive to unbelievers.
If you were asked what you find most attractive about God, wouldn’t you say it’s His love? His plan is to use His children to meet emotional, material, spiritual, and physical needs everywhere. So God’s love should overflow from us to fill the empty hearts and hands of those in our sphere of influence.
God bless you!
Amen

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