Love One Another

1 John 3:9-11 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
 
FIVE times in 1 & 2 John, the apostle wrote, “Love one another.” Tradition says that in John’s old age he was carried to the church where he still taught, “Love one another.” The congregation, it is said, grew tired of hearing this. But John insisted he continue this essential teaching because that is what Jesus taught. John records Jesus said it three times in two sentences: John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
   In that passage, Jesus is with his disciples in the Upper Room. He had just washed their feet. This humble, serving act was a vivid demonstration of Jesus’ love for them. The Lord of heaven had submitted himself to serve his disciples as a slave. In the washing of their feet, Jesus revealed that love should be a full devotion to others. And, of course, Jesus would go on to an even greater revelation of love for one another as he submitted to the cross.
   John had also witnessed Jesus love each of them after his resurrection. The Lord loved them out of their doubts and confusion to clearly reveal his majesty and holiness. The apostle also saw, “Love one another.” In action when Jesus loved Peter back into the ministry.
   John knew how essential and life-changing love is. A true, committed, active love for one another transforms families, neighborhoods and the church. To love one another is a visible sign God’s seed remains in a Christian, so he will not continue to sin. To love one another opens the way to repentance and forgiveness because one has been born of God.
   Do we need to continually hear this? Apparently we do. The Spirit has inspired John to write this faith essential. It is too easy to not love one another if we take our mind from what Jesus has done for us. When we decide how to respond to others in the church when we disagree or are offended, our first response is to remember, “Love one another.” This will go far to
help us remember God’s seed remains in us. Love is the essential ingredient to a faithful purposeful Christian life and to the church.