This Is My Commandment: Love Each Other In The Same Way I Have Loved You.

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This Is My Commandment:

Love Each Other In The Same Way

I Have Loved You.

Scripture

John 15

12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 

15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 

16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 

17 This is my command: Love each other.

Observation

Have you ever heard someone say, “I have forgiven so and so, but I am not going to have anything to do with them”? It doesn't seem very sincere does it? Just imagine if our Heavenly Father treated us like that … we would all be in big trouble.

'Love each other' was not a suggestion … it is a command.

The natural tendency of our old nature is to hate, to hold grudges, to get even, to hurt, to get revenge. Over and over and over again we are commanded to love one another.

Why do we need to be constantly reminded to love one another?

Forgiveness, Grace, Love, and Mercy is what people need to see flowing from our lives if we are followers of Jesus Christ.

Squeeze a lemon and you get lemon juice … Squeeze a Christian and you should get love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control!

Nobody said that it would be easy to 'love one another', if it was easy Jesus would not have had to order us to do it! It is an order!

If you are being squeezed right now by someone and not in a good way … what are the people around you seeing and experiencing – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, or are you showing them that you are a sour lemon!

I love you. I am sorry. Will you forgive me? … Three phrases that we constantly must put into practice!

John 13:34-35

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

1 John 3:23

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

Application

When I am squeezed I want the fruit of the Spirit to splash on the people around me and nothing else!

How about you?

Psalm 19:14

14 May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Proverbs 12:18

Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing.

Matthew 18:21-22

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to love the unlovely. Help me to love those who have hurt me. Don't let me hold grudges. Don't let me try to get even. Help me to love people like You love me – unconditionally. I want people to see Jesus in me. Give me the ability to see things from Your perspective. Increase my capacity to love people like You love them. Thank You for not giving up on me.

Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 13,14,15; John 15

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