April 2nd 2017
And God Has Given Us This Command: Whoever Loves God Must Also Love His Brother.
1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Loving someone who loves you is a lot easier than loving someone whom you do not like! Jesus even told us we must love those who do not love us, and love even those who persecute us! In the selected verses, we read that God expects us to love other members of mankind, and He believes we can accomplish this through His love because, “We love because he first loved us.” We are all made in the image and likeness of God—This obviously refers to our immortal soul not our mortal body! Therefore, deep within us there is the possibility for any member of mankind to love all other people, but only if we allow ourselves to first love God. Then it makes sense that we could follow His command, “he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
People need to be trained in good behavior or they will not display love, but more often they will display mistrust of others, if not trained to be disciplined individuals. Some people are being trained to mistrust everyone around them, and they are being trained to hate everyone who is in authority, and thus, have some control over them. Whole communities are being taught to distrust the police and/or firefighters and to look for ways to discredit them whenever possible. Areas like this have rampant crime all around them, because they do not look to those who are there to protect them, because they consider them as the enemy!
Jesus tried to train people in His day to show love to everyone, because they are all potential children of God. Jesus told them, and us now, that we must respect everyone even those who seem very different than us. Jesus said it is not good enough to love just those who agree with us, and thus, we consider them to be our neighbor, and who dwell in our neighborhood. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45). Do the members of your neighborhood show respect for the people who hold positions of authority? Do you?
Recently there was an incident where several people were shot at a local establishment where people congregate to meet and greet, and there they consume alcoholic beverages. Many come to socialize and enjoy each other’s company, or this is likely a description of this environment. However, some of the people who attend this place have been taught to hate or at least mistrust almost everyone else! When such people drink alcoholic beverages, and they are carrying weapons, their normal taught response to someone disagreeing with them is to shoot them. This type of response is, or should not be, surprising to anyone! If you are taught to hate and mistrust everyone, and you have the means to hurt them, or even attempt to kill them, it is not really surprising when violence occurs!
The point here is trying to be positive in a violent world where good still outweighs bad by a lot. Yes, this is really just my opinion, but this hope is based in reading the Scriptures, and believing there is still Good News, and it is the responsibility of all believers to spread the good word. Paul wrote about this situation in which we find ourselves, which is not a new thing as there has been violence in this world in all recorded history. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Here Paul is trying to put the troubles of this world into a more manageable piece so that we can realize that these, “momentary troubles” while troubling, should not overshadow the great gift of grace which, “are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Our focus must not be limited to earthly endeavors and accomplishments.
Jesus did not paint a pretty picture of what following Him looks like. First Jesus told us that we must give up all earthly things, before we can follow Him. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33). Jesus said we must “give up everything’ we have before we can follow Him! Let’s interpret this as being able to not put “things” above our desire to follow Him. This command was further emphasized as being a daily thought process. Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23). This requirement that “he must deny himself and take up his (our) cross daily,” would not be a good ad to attract new members to join your church! Denying yourself may be fulfilled by not looking out for “number one” first always!
Let us try to understand this request from Jesus and possibly respond to being able to accomplish it. Dragging around a cross is not what Jesus meant here, but it may mean to carry a burden of love for everyone, even those we do not like, and may not even trust! Being willing to put other before your desires to be fulfilled. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27). This burden or carrying a cross must be related to doing good things for others even though you do not truly feel a loving attitude. Remember, followers of Jesus are not working to gain some type of reward. Jesus death on that cross paid the total price for your salvation, that is why you are working at becoming a follower of His! Jesus says to each of us that you must carry our cross and follow Him!
We are only followers, because of the salvation He bought for us. Then it makes sense that we could follow His command, “he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” As the selected verses, have stated, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We love because he first loved us. Tell someone you love them today!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Loving someone who loves you is a lot easier than loving someone whom you do not like! Jesus even told us we must love those who do not love us, and love even those who persecute us! In the selected verses, we read that God expects us to love other members of mankind, and He believes we can accomplish this through His love because, “We love because he first loved us.” We are all made in the image and likeness of God—This obviously refers to our immortal soul not our mortal body! Therefore, deep within us there is the possibility for any member of mankind to love all other people, but only if we allow ourselves to first love God. Then it makes sense that we could follow His command, “he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
People need to be trained in good behavior or they will not display love, but more often they will display mistrust of others, if not trained to be disciplined individuals. Some people are being trained to mistrust everyone around them, and they are being trained to hate everyone who is in authority, and thus, have some control over them. Whole communities are being taught to distrust the police and/or firefighters and to look for ways to discredit them whenever possible. Areas like this have rampant crime all around them, because they do not look to those who are there to protect them, because they consider them as the enemy!
Jesus tried to train people in His day to show love to everyone, because they are all potential children of God. Jesus told them, and us now, that we must respect everyone even those who seem very different than us. Jesus said it is not good enough to love just those who agree with us, and thus, we consider them to be our neighbor, and who dwell in our neighborhood. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45). Do the members of your neighborhood show respect for the people who hold positions of authority? Do you?
Recently there was an incident where several people were shot at a local establishment where people congregate to meet and greet, and there they consume alcoholic beverages. Many come to socialize and enjoy each other’s company, or this is likely a description of this environment. However, some of the people who attend this place have been taught to hate or at least mistrust almost everyone else! When such people drink alcoholic beverages, and they are carrying weapons, their normal taught response to someone disagreeing with them is to shoot them. This type of response is, or should not be, surprising to anyone! If you are taught to hate and mistrust everyone, and you have the means to hurt them, or even attempt to kill them, it is not really surprising when violence occurs!
The point here is trying to be positive in a violent world where good still outweighs bad by a lot. Yes, this is really just my opinion, but this hope is based in reading the Scriptures, and believing there is still Good News, and it is the responsibility of all believers to spread the good word. Paul wrote about this situation in which we find ourselves, which is not a new thing as there has been violence in this world in all recorded history. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Here Paul is trying to put the troubles of this world into a more manageable piece so that we can realize that these, “momentary troubles” while troubling, should not overshadow the great gift of grace which, “are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Our focus must not be limited to earthly endeavors and accomplishments.
Jesus did not paint a pretty picture of what following Him looks like. First Jesus told us that we must give up all earthly things, before we can follow Him. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33). Jesus said we must “give up everything’ we have before we can follow Him! Let’s interpret this as being able to not put “things” above our desire to follow Him. This command was further emphasized as being a daily thought process. Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23). This requirement that “he must deny himself and take up his (our) cross daily,” would not be a good ad to attract new members to join your church! Denying yourself may be fulfilled by not looking out for “number one” first always!
Let us try to understand this request from Jesus and possibly respond to being able to accomplish it. Dragging around a cross is not what Jesus meant here, but it may mean to carry a burden of love for everyone, even those we do not like, and may not even trust! Being willing to put other before your desires to be fulfilled. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27). This burden or carrying a cross must be related to doing good things for others even though you do not truly feel a loving attitude. Remember, followers of Jesus are not working to gain some type of reward. Jesus death on that cross paid the total price for your salvation, that is why you are working at becoming a follower of His! Jesus says to each of us that you must carry our cross and follow Him!
We are only followers, because of the salvation He bought for us. Then it makes sense that we could follow His command, “he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” As the selected verses, have stated, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We love because he first loved us. Tell someone you love them today!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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