## Loving as Jesus Loved

## John 13:34-35

Three things to observe in these, verses:

1. The EXAMPLE of loving: Jesus loved and manifested it, demonstrated it, and showed it.

2. The COMMAND to love:

a. Our life is not right unless we are loving.

b. When a person is saved, born again of the Spirit of God, they become a possessor of the Divine Nature which is the nature to love.

c. A Christian is to lead a spiritual life and bear the fruit of the Spirit, which means we must love.

d. OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF JESUS INCLUDES LOVING.

3. The EVIDENCE of love to others.

a. As Jesus stood by Mary and Martha He wept and onlookers exclaimed, Behold, how He loved him."

b. When people in the world see authentic, biblical love within God's family, they will believe.

c. The greatest sin of Christians today is the sin of withholding love.

I. JESUS LOVES US WITH UTTERMOST LOVE.

A. Jesus loves us with complete love.

1. He loves to the fullest extent.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

2. He loves to the end.

“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” (John 13:1)

3. He never quits loving.

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jer 31:3)

4. Nothing can separate us from His love. cf Rom. 8:35-39

B. True love never fails.

“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” (1 Cor 13:8)

1. This kind of love loves in spite of faults and failures.

2. This kind of love cares and continues to care.

3. This kind of love puts others first. “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” (Rom 12:10)

II. JESUS LOVES US WITH A SERVlNG LOVE.

A. Matthew 20:28

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mat 20:28)

1. Jesus fed the hungry out of compassion.

2. Jesus lifted up the sinking.

3. Jesus comforted the brokenhearted.

4. Jesus prayed 'for' and 'with' His disciples.

B. Love like Jesus means a serving love.

1. We're to be responsible for each other's growth and improvement.

2. We can't be right in our doctrine and wrong in our living.

3. We can't be right in our Iiving and wrong in our loving.

4. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Gal 5:13-14)

III. JESUS LOVED US WITH A PERSONAL LOVE.

A. Jesus called and has drawn us unto Himself with love.

1. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mat 11:28)

2. Jesus was criticized for being with sinners.

3. He spent time with them and He personally spends time with us!

4. So often the phrase "I Love You" is just empty rhetoric.

5. Jesus assures us of His love by His personal presence.

6. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3)

B. Our love for one another needs to be expressed personally.

1. We need to put actions with our words.

2. "And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (James 2:16)

3. Note: Acts 2:41-46

4. The early church cared for each other with more than just a 'God bless you'.

5. We ought to love one another with a love that is expressed personally.

Do we love one another as Jesus loved us? If not then it is sin! We are in disobedience to His Word. That in itself is an indication that we do not love Him as we should. He said if ye love me then keep my commandments. Do we love Him...then we ought to love one another.