## Love One Another

## John 13:34-35

How important it is for you and me, as God’s people, to make an impact on this world in which we are living. This begins with a right relationship with God and a right relationship with one another.

One of the biggest misunderstandings we have in the Christian life is in thinking that we can get along with God and not get along with each other. The "one another" statements tell us in a practical way how to love one another. In the N . T ., there are twelve different references that contain these words: "love one another."

I. We Love One Another Because Jesus Commands Us To.

A. Jesus gave this commandment in John 13:34-35.

B. He repeated it again in John 15:12 and again in 15:17.

C. Also in vs. 13-15, Jesus speaks of true friendship.

1. In vs. 15 we learn that a true friend has a servant’s heart.

2. Christian love is an act of the will.

3. We "will" to treat each other the way God treats us!

4. How does He treat us?

a. God forgives us, so we forgive one another.

b. God is kind to us, so we are kind to one another.

c. God receives us, so we receive one another.

D. We are to willingly and deliberately treat each other the way God treats us.

1. This is what it means to love one another.

2. Jesus gave us the perfect example of love by His life and by His death.

3. Notice John 15:13.

4. But He laid down His life for His enemies!

II. We Love One Another Because This is the Fulfillment of God’s Law. cf Ro. 13:18

A. Paul was discussing in this chapter our relationship to government and to the law.

B. The Old Testament Jew had many laws to keep:

1. Laws that governed the land, property, about his neighbor, of the tabernacle and sacrifices, etc.

2. The New Testament command to "love one another" takes care of these regulations.

C. Because love is the motivation for obedience, it helps us to fulfill the law.

III. We Love One Another Because We have Been Taught of God to Love One Another.

A. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 we find another reference to loving one another.

1. In vs. 10-13, Paul was praying for these Thessalonian Christians that they might "abound in love one toward another".

2. He repeated this theme in 4:9.

B. God the Father taught us to love one another by giving us His Son.

C. God the Son has taught us to love one another by giving His life.

D. God the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, teaches us to love one another.

Romans 5: 5, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

IV. We Love One Another because of the New Nature of God Within Us.

A. In 1Peter 1: 22-23, we learn that we should love one another because this is part of our new birth.

B. The new nature of God within us gives us the power to love.

1. You see, our old nature is not very loving.

2. It loves the things that are wrong.

3. Titus 3:3 says that once we were "hateful, and hating one another."

4. But when we are born again we receive God’s new nature...love moves in.

5. And why is that? Because God is love (1John 4:8).

C. 1Peter 1:22 states that this love is to be "unfeigned."

1. That means sincere, not artificial.

2. Sincere love..."with a pure heart"

3. That "pure heart" is important.

4. If my heart is not pure, it means there is sin in my heart.

5. And if there is sin in my heart, I am limited in my loving you because sin is basically selfishness.

6. "fervently" - The word "fervent" describes an energetic, disciplined, well-trained athlete.

In the epistles of John, there are five verses that say "love one another":

- 1 John 3:11
- 1 John 3:23
- 1 John 4:7-8
- 1 John 4:11-12
- 2 John 5 5

These passages refer to the wonderful privilege we have of loving one another. And if we love one another, we are going to treat one another the way that God treats us. Do we love one another? Do we treat one another the way that God treats us? To fail in this is to disobey a fundamental command of our Lord Jesus Christ!