Love One Another, As Jesus Has Loved You - Believe, Submit, Obey

Today's Focus Scripture: John 13:34-35

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

His Disciples (eDevotional from "God's Daily Word" ministries)

One of the last commands Jesus gave was to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The making of a disciple is the complete work of the Holy Spirit; but we are told to join in this work by teaching people to believe in the sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, to humbly submit control of their life into His hands, and to "obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20).

God's Word contains the complete description of what it means to believe, submit, and obey. Jesus taught extensively on each of these issues. But the single command which will have the greatest impact on the world around us is the command to love.

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

The phrase "As I have loved you" ought to rip at our heart. Though there was nothing in us to deserve His love, Jesus gave His life. And long before He gave His physical life, He gave something even greater; He "made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:7). Jesus loved enough to give up who He was for those completely unlovable; and this is the level of love we are called to demonstrate to one another.

We are called to a sacrificial love - a love that gives and considers the needs of others ahead of our own. We are called to give our time, our tears, our understanding, and even our material resources when necessary. We are called to love enough to rejoice when others rejoice, but also to hurt when others hurt, and to forgive simply because Jesus first forgave us. We are called to love!

But notice why we are called to such love. Our love for others is certainly an expression of gratitude to God and a maturing process as we grow into the likeness of Christ, but Jesus also says our love for others is the one sure way of telling the world we are followers of Christ. Our love becomes an act of worship because, through love, we are boldly declaring Jesus is Lord! As we love - even when others may not "deserve" our love - we actively show the world the joy and peace found only in Jesus.

The world is overflowing with people who need love, who have run out of hope, longing for someone to let them know they care. We are those who must care! We must reach out to one another with a love that defies all worldly wisdom and understanding. We must love as Jesus loved us. This love will be used to work miracles; this love will bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father; this love will show the world that we are truly His disciples.

By Steve Troxel - "God's Daily Word" eDevotional


Scriptures used in today's devotional:

Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Philippians 2:7 (Philippians 2:1-8 in context)
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

LAGNIAPPE:

DEFINITIONS: (Taken from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English)

BELIEVE, v.t.
To expect or hope with confidence; to trust.

To credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, or upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by other circumstances, than personal knowledge. When we believe upon the authority of another, we always put confidence in his veracity.

When we believe upon the authority of reasoning, arguments, or a concurrence of facts and circumstances, we rest our conclusions upon their strength or probability, their agreement with our own experience.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psa 27.


SUBMIT, v.t. [L. submitto; sub, under, and mitto, to send.]
To yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another; with the reciprocal pronoun.  To surrender; to yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance.  To yield one's opinion to the opinion or authority of another.  To be subject; to acquiesce in the authority of another. To be submissive; to yield without murmuring.

Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hand. Gen 16.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands. Eph 5.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man. 1 Pet 2.


OBEY, v.t. [L. obedio; Gr.]
To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Eph 6.

Servants, obey in all things your masters. Col 3.

He who has learned to obey, will know how to command.