And The World Will Know You Are My Disciples

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This past Lord's Day, my church did a overview study on the book of John. (Lord's Day is my name of choice for Sunday because I generally dislike using a calendar based on Roman mythology, but I especially hate using it for the day Yahweh overcame the grave)

The purpose of the sermon was to present a broad overview of John's message. Our creator came to us in the flesh, this is the explanation of eternal life, and Jesus is the promised Messiah.

But in the course of communicating this message, the sermon touched on two verses that got me down a completely different mind track.

John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 

John 15:12-33
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

 The word Jesus is using here is agape, that all-encompassing, unconditional love of the Heavenly Father. The love that enables us to love our enemies. But we all know this, right? This is elementary stuff. Right?

But how many of us truly hang the weights on the balance?

The mark of a true Christian: If you love each other liker Christ loved you.

How did Christ love? By laying down his life for us, while we were yet sinners. While we were yet his enemies.

And this is some pretty serious material. If you love one another as Christ loved you, how is there room for fighting over politics? How is there room for arguing about semantics and inconsequential theological opinions? Certainly, it would be quite a feat for everyone to agree on the same opinion, and I'm not saying this is what is expected. But far too often, people allow their opinions to drive wedges.

If you love one another as Christ loved you, how is there room for lies? How is there room for gossip? How is there room for slander? How is there room for greed? How is there room for you to lust? How is there room for extra-marital sexual temptation?

 Certainly, we are fallen humans. Certainly, we have a sin nature. Certainly, even after dying to it, that old sin self tries to resurrect itself. I know this better than anyone, able to identify with Paul as "chief of sinners". Only Yahweh is perfect. But seriously, the church has some loose knots that need fixed.

When you judge a brother or sister in the Lord by their clothing? That's giving place to the god of social status.

When you look at a brother or sister in the lord and you are tempted to unholy and immoral actions? Or even thoughts about those actions? That is the god of sex.

There's the god of financial wealth. The god of gluttony. The god of drunkenness. The god of pride. The god of deceit. And many others. And why do I say this? Because if every single member of the body of Christ loved one another like Christ loved, the church would be different on a radical scale.

The thoughts you think about a brother or sister, are they thoughts you would think about Christ? The actions you take, the things that you do. Would you do those actions to Christ? The feelings that you feel, would you have those same feelings for Christ?

Because if the answer is no, that may be something you and He need to work on.

How much better would it be, when anything unholy creeps into our minds, we could squelch it instantly. More than simply resisting a temptation, finding it outright repulsive. "Far be it from me to entertain such a notion toward my brother or my sister." Just like Joseph resisted the wife of Potiphar.

Whatsoever you do to the least of these, my brothers, you do unto me.

 

Christ's love washed his disciples' feet while they were utterly filthy.

Christ's love sought to do only the will of the Heavenly Father, even when that will conflicted with his human nature.

Christ's love is mercy to the penitent, no matter the size of their crime. 

Christ's love forgave his murderers while he was dying.


The world will know we are his disciples if we love each other with agape, in the same way that he loved us. What are some ways you could put that into action this week?

Comments

  1. Christie SparrowJuly 18, 2024 at 8:31 PM

    Love this so much! Pastor John covered John 13:35 on the Lord's day as well. I think we may have talked about that, but if you haven't heard it already, I think you'll appreciate the sermon very much.

    ReplyDelete

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