Showing True Love



Yesterday, I preached on John 13: 31-38 which is Jesus giving his disciples a new commandment to love each other. I pointed our several things regarding this passage of scripture. The most important is that this is not a new commandment but a completed commandment.

God gave Israel the Ten Commandments basically telling them that they could not follow them so a sacrifice was needed to atone for their sins. The commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the original commandment. The command to love one another that Jesus gives his disciples (and us) is not new in the sense that it had never been given before. The Greek word for new that is used here does not refer to an innovation - something never before existing. Rather, it refers to renewal and restoration. The love commandment's newness comes from the fact that the work of the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit were about to make it possible to really love one another for the first time. The commandment was renewed by the work of Christ. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we are able to truly love our neighbor and our fellow Christians as God first intended us to do so.

Our people at Common Ground took this sermon to heart yesterday and did show love to one of own; in every sense of the word “love.” This past Monday, we found out that Barbara Dean passed away. Barbara was only with us for a year before she had a massive stroke which made her wheelchair bond and unable to speak (or sing). Because of the stroke, she was sent back home (by her daughter) to Nassau Bahamas so she could be taken care of by the family. That was 3 years ago and this past Monday God called her home. Emmy (her daughter) still comes to our little church. We made known that a minimum of $350 was needed to help Emmy make it to Nassau for the September 4th funeral of her mom. Roger (our senior pastor) told the people during the announcements of the amount needed and $650 came in. Not only do we have enough for Emmy’s plane ticket, but extra for whatever is needed. We took this new commandment to heart yesterday and by our actions we showed we are Christ's disciples.

Any of the spiritual gifts can be and have been imitated by non-Christians for profit. Any of the external marks of piety that Christians have adopted can be faked. But sustained, on-going love for each other, love modeled after Christ's love for us cannot be counterfeited. Such love is the true mark of the Christian.