Living Out Christ's Commandment of Divine Love

Devotional

Day 1: The Divine Standard of Love

Jesus' command to love one another as He loved us sets a divine standard that transcends cultural definitions of love. This love is unconditional and not based on the worthiness of the recipient, reflecting the love God has for a rebellious world. Jesus demonstrated this love through His life, showing compassion, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. He loved His disciples despite their flaws and misunderstandings, and He calls us to do the same with those around us. This divine love challenges us to rise above our natural inclinations and embrace a love that mirrors God's own heart. [06:05]

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone you find difficult to love. How can you begin to love them unconditionally, as Christ loves you, starting today?

Day 2: Love in Action

True love is demonstrated through actions, not just words. It involves actively seeking the well-being of others, even to the point of self-sacrifice, as Jesus did. This love is a powerful witness to the world, distinguishing us as followers of Christ. By serving others and putting their needs before our own, we reflect the heart of Jesus and His mission on earth. Our actions speak louder than words, and through them, we can show the world the transformative power of Christ's love. [21:04]

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one practical way you can serve someone in your community this week. How can this act of service reflect the love of Christ?

Day 3: Truth in Love

Christian love involves speaking the truth in love, guiding others towards righteousness while maintaining a compassionate and forgiving heart. This balance is essential in reflecting the love of Christ to others. It requires courage and wisdom to address issues truthfully while remaining gentle and kind. By doing so, we help others grow in their faith and understanding, fostering a community that is rooted in love and truth. [08:27]

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (Ephesians 4:15, ESV)

Reflection: Is there someone you need to have an honest conversation with? How can you approach this conversation with both truth and love?

Day 4: Overcoming Natural Tendencies

Our natural tendencies towards division and judgment can only be overcome by the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. By abiding in God and keeping His commandments, we allow His Spirit to change our hearts and enable us to love as Christ loved. This transformation helps us to see others through God's eyes, breaking down barriers and fostering unity within the body of Christ. [29:22]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle with judgment or division? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform your heart in this area?

Day 5: The Role of the Holy Spirit

We cannot achieve the standard of love on our own. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, guiding and empowering us to love as Christ loved. This divine assistance is crucial in living out the commandment to love one another. By relying on the Holy Spirit, we are equipped to overcome our limitations and extend Christ's love to those around us, becoming true witnesses of His grace and mercy. [34:44]

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26, ESV)

Reflection: How can you become more aware of the Holy Spirit's presence in your daily life? What steps can you take to rely more on His guidance and strength?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound commandment of love that Jesus imparted to His disciples, emphasizing its significance as a defining characteristic of true Christian discipleship. As we approach Easter, it's crucial to reflect on the life of Jesus, not just His birth and resurrection, but the example He set for us in between. Jesus' life was a testament to love, a love that transcends superficial definitions and cultural clichés. This love is not about mere words or feelings but is demonstrated through actions and truth.

Jesus' commandment to love one another as He loved us raises the standard of love to a divine level. This love is unconditional, not based on the worthiness of the recipient, but on the example set by Christ Himself. Jesus loved His disciples despite their flaws and misunderstandings, and He calls us to do the same with those around us. This love is not passive; it requires us to actively seek the well-being of others, even to the point of self-sacrifice.

The world often misunderstands Christian love, equating it with blind acceptance or a lack of moral standards. However, true love, as exemplified by Jesus, involves speaking the truth in love, guiding others towards righteousness while maintaining a compassionate and forgiving heart. This love is a powerful witness to the world, distinguishing us as followers of Christ.

Moreover, love must be put into action. It's not enough to profess love; we must demonstrate it through tangible acts of kindness and support. This includes helping those in need, offering a listening ear, and being a source of encouragement and hope. Our love for one another is a reflection of God's love for us and serves as a testament to His presence in our lives.

Finally, we are reminded that we cannot achieve this standard of love on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, guiding and empowering us to love as Christ loved. By abiding in God and keeping His commandments, we allow His Spirit to transform our hearts, enabling us to overcome the natural tendencies towards division and judgment.

Key Takeaways

1. The Divine Standard of Love: Jesus' command to love one another as He loved us sets a divine standard that transcends cultural definitions of love. This love is unconditional and not based on the worthiness of the recipient, reflecting the love God has for a rebellious world. [06:05]
2. Love in Action: True love is demonstrated through actions, not just words. It involves actively seeking the well-being of others, even to the point of self-sacrifice, as Jesus did. This love is a powerful witness to the world, distinguishing us as followers of Christ. [21:04]
3. Truth in Love: Christian love involves speaking the truth in love, guiding others towards righteousness while maintaining a compassionate and forgiving heart. This balance is essential in reflecting the love of Christ to others. [08:27]
4. Overcoming Natural Tendencies: Our natural tendencies towards division and judgment can only be overcome by the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. By abiding in God and keeping His commandments, we allow His Spirit to change our hearts and enable us to love as Christ loved. [29:22]
5. The Role of the Holy Spirit: We cannot achieve the standard of love on our own. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, guiding and empowering us to love as Christ loved. This divine assistance is crucial in living out the commandment to love one another. [34:44]
** [34:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Baptism Announcement
[01:06] - Following Jesus' Example
[01:45] - Understanding Love
[03:34] - Love and Christian Identity
[04:43] - Jesus' New Commandment
[06:44] - The Standard of Jesus' Love
[08:12] - Truth and Love
[09:50] - Love as a Distinguishing Commandment
[11:02] - Breaking Barriers in the Church
[13:34] - Love and Division in the Church
[15:42] - The Example of Cain and Abel
[18:10] - Assurance Through Love
[21:04] - Love in Action
[27:02] - Confidence in God's Love
[31:47] - Belief and Obedience in Love
[34:57] - The Role of the Holy Spirit

Sermon Clips

Jesus' commandment to love one another as He loved us raises the standard of love to a divine level. This love is unconditional, not based on the worthiness of the recipient, but on the example set by Christ Himself. Jesus loved His disciples despite their flaws and misunderstandings, and He calls us to do the same with those around us. [00:06:44]

The world often misunderstands Christian love, equating it with blind acceptance or a lack of moral standards. However, true love, as exemplified by Jesus, involves speaking the truth in love, guiding others towards righteousness while maintaining a compassionate and forgiving heart. This love is a powerful witness to the world, distinguishing us as followers of Christ. [00:08:12]

Moreover, love must be put into action. It's not enough to profess love; we must demonstrate it through tangible acts of kindness and support. This includes helping those in need, offering a listening ear, and being a source of encouragement and hope. Our love for one another is a reflection of God's love for us and serves as a testament to His presence in our lives. [00:21:04]

Finally, we are reminded that we cannot achieve this standard of love on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, guiding and empowering us to love as Christ loved. By abiding in God and keeping His commandments, we allow His Spirit to transform our hearts, enabling us to overcome the natural tendencies towards division and judgment. [00:34:44]

The definition that he's using here is the same word that he's using in John 3:16 when he says, "For God so loved the world." Now the world is cosmos, right there is the word that's where we get cosmopolitan things like that cosmos, and it's the issue is the world in its rebellious state. [00:11:59]

The newness comes from the fact of the standard he says "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another." Okay, you're supposed to love one another as I have loved you the standard then gets raised beyond anything that they've had before because what is the standard of Jesus that he's about to show them. [00:07:14]

Jesus is talking to his disciples and he's about to go, he's about to be arrested, he's about to go to his crucifixion and then he'll go through his trial and then of course the resurrection everything's ending and he says to them in John 13:34-35 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you. [00:04:43]

The Christian church broke the barriers the Christian church put people together and there's another one where it talks about the Cyians you're like "Oh no not the Cythians." The Cyians are bad dudes okay that's all you need to know they're from the east of the Euphrates we talked about him in the book of Revelation. [00:11:02]

He says "You will love one another you will not have churches that don't love groups of people in fact in Galatians it says 'There is neither Jew nor Greek slave nor free there is no female and female for you all one in Christ Jesus.'" [00:11:02]

The example of Jesus of course is he's willing to lay his life down for the sake of another person it means putting the other person in front of yourself and he is saying and we still see this in churches today where somebody will step up and say I will be martyed for the sake of the church. [00:13:34]

He says "In the Christian church we take everybody and we can have a Jew and a Greek." And you're like "What's the big deal?" It's a huge deal they will walk across the street to avoid each other you can have a slave and free together what you can have people that are rich from poor. [00:13:34]

The spirit of God helps us to fight against sin the spirit of God is constantly changing us sanctifying us making us more holy the spirit of God is working on our minds the spirit of God is in us if we keep his commandments and follow after him he says his spirit will be in us. [00:34:57]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?