Word For The Day: Love Like Christ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Word for the Day comes from John 13:34-35 and John 15:12. Please read both texts as we begin.

WHAT:

Yesterday we began in John 13:34-35 looking at the commandment to love one another. We saw that loving one another is not an option. Today notice the depth and standard by which we are to love one another. Jesus commanded His disciples to “love one another as I have loved you” in both John 13:34 and John 15:12. The principle is easy to see isn’t it? We are to love one another to the same depth and degree that Christ loved us. The principle is easy to see with our head but difficult to act on with our heart.

SO WHAT:

We must remember the context in which Jesus gave this standard of loving one another. He was on His way to die for us. But not simply to die for us – but to die for our sins, our crimes against God, our punishment. He died for us while we were ungodly, and His enemy ( ROM 5:6,10). He took the initiative to love us before we loved Him (1 John 4:10). He loves us and is not ashamed to call us His brothers ( Hebrews 2:11). One can even say thatHe loves us even when we don’t love Him.

NOW WHAT:

That’s a high standard of loving one another! Do we love one another with such willing sacrifice ( 1 John 3:16)? Can we take the initiative to reach out in love towards someone in Kitwe Church today? Would we love someone in our church family who treats us poorly and may not love us? Actually we can’t do this without God. But God has given us the ability to love one another just as Christ loved us (John 17:26). The gospel enables us to do just that.

Have a godly day today!

Pastor Tim