“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35.
On the last night Jesus was with His disciples, He passed on to them His final words; they were to love one another! Loving one another was to be the main distinction of His disciples! The Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate ruling in the fourth century, regretted the progress of Christianity because it pulled people away from the Roman gods. He said, “The Christian faith has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the dead. There is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and the Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to Rome look in vain for the help that we should render them.” That’s what turned the world upside down!
John’s love was not wimpy, it was love in action! It was not the kind of love that walks by someone who is suffering and says, “I’ll pray for you,” but walks on, promptly forgets, and never lifts a finger to help. Following Jesus is not a spectator sport! It means loving the unlovable, people who aren’t always nice, or clean or moral and don’t occupy your comfort zone. Do you know what the Apostle Paul said really counts? “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love,” Galatians 5:6. James, the Lord’s brother said, “Faith without works is dead!” James 2:26. Do you know people in your church who need encouragement? Are needy? An arm around their shoulder? Need someone to stop and pray with them? Financially hurting and out of work? Well, you say, “that’s the deacons’ job, or the elders, let them use the Samaritan fund!” But, you will miss a blessing! It’s everyone’s job to look after each other. Even if you can’t do a lot, you can do something!
And what about those outside our church family? Our community and country? We are going through perilous times in our world with riots, demonstrations and angry mobs. We need to be careful of the words we use because words have power. We can bless or curse. Are your words life-giving? Just as it is the nature of hate to take life, it is the nature of love to give life. How do we give life? How can we have a life that matters? First, we must have eternal life, the Spirit of Jesus Christ living in us. Then we become a container, a channel for the love of Jesus flowing through us to those around. “Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture said, streams of living water will flow from within him,” John 7:38. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth,” 1 John 3:18.
I had the privilege to present the gospel to a small group of friends yesterday. There are people in our world who would like to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but don’t know how to obtain it. They have never heard the clear simple message that “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” As I talked about the fact that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” several listened intently. I felt God was drawing them to himself! Then I talked about the “gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” that free gift so abundantly given to all who believe! What an amazing present God gave us through the death of Jesus on the cross! I prayed a simple prayer. No one indicated they had accepted the Lord, but seeds were sown and I’m praying that they will come to know our precious Savior. We can all be a witness for Christ by both our words and deeds. Let us “turn the world upside down by our love and actions!”
Your friend, Jean (taken from a sermon by Pastor Terry)