Scripture sets forth certain identifying characteristics of the believer that must be present if the new birth has taken place. While it is true that a Christian has not immediately "arrived," we should be consistently maturing in our faith. Our lives must show the evidence of the reality of our salvation.
Jesus commands us to love one another, just as He has loved us. By this, all men will know that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35). In fact, this goes beyond a mere command that we externally obey, but is an outflow of the very nature of God Himself, who has given us spiritual rebirth.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1John 4:7-8 NASB).
So here we have a litmus test. Our love for others is proof of our relationship with God. Therefore it is important to define love; to understand what is required if we are to love others, and to determine who we are expected to love.
While the term love is used in various ways in everyday thought and conversation, what I want to look at is the sacrificial love that is portrayed throughout the scriptures. This is the kind of love that should mark the life of a believer.
In Romans 13:8-10 we read this,
Owe nothing to anyone except to live one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does not wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Jesus puts it simply as treating others in the same way you would want them to treat you (Luke 6:31). We would not want to be wronged by someone, therefore, love forbids us to wrong another human being.
We have a description of love's attributes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
By this we see that arrogance and self seeking do not belong in a Christian's life. Love is patient, puts up with a lot, and looks for the best in others. Love upholds the truth. This is in opposition to the way the world operates.
In Romans 1:29-31 we read of a list of grievous sins. Envy, murder and strife, deceit, malice, gossip and slander, arrogance, those who hate God, those who disobey their parents, the unloving and unmerciful. We can look at murder or hating God and recognize those things as wicked indeed. But how about gossip or slander? This list of sins are in a passage of Scripture dealing with a people who have been given over to a depraved mind. Gossip is just as evil, just as unloving as murder or sexual sin in the eyes of God. Yet how easy it is to pass on that story, or to slander someone. Again, treat others the same way you would have them treat you. Love does no wrong to a neighbor.
Love looks out for the best interest of another. Love sees a need that it can meet, and then does it. In James 2:15-16 we are warned that it is not enough to give our best regards to someone in need, we must meet that need if we are able. We must go beyond words to actual deeds for our love to be real (1John 3:17-18).
Ultimately love is self sacrificing. Jesus states, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Jesus loved us all the way to the cross. This stands as the ultimate example of sacrificial giving. John repeats this theme in 1John 3:16,
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
I think that the weight of these words is lost on most of us in the west. We haven't really experienced persecution for our faith like Christians in other countries have. History is filled with the stories of martyrs who have counted the cost and literally laid down their lives for their brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe that as the age closes upon us that many of us will be faced with this possibility as well. In the meantime however, the sacrifice is as great as the need that confronts us. That is the biblical portrayal of love.
So who are we to love? Are some people exempt from this requirement to love one another? For starters, Jesus has this to say, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." (Luke 6:32)
If we stop there, and only love our little circle of friends and family, we fall woefully short of God's purpose for our lives. Even the worst of sinners are capable of loving a few friends or family members. That by itself cannot differentiate us from the world. It is not a sign of a true disciple. Of course we should love those around us whom we consider as friends or family (see Ephesians 5:25-28, 1Timothy 5:8) but there is more to love than that.
We have already looked at verses pertaining to the love of the brethren, but here is one more,
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He do does not love abides in death. (1JOHN 3:14 NASB)
In this context the brethren are fellow believers. As followers of Christ we should love each other deeply. We are all members of His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). As such, we are too be fervent in our love for one another (1Peter 4:8). As Christians we are called to serve one another, to look out for each other, to meet any needs a fellow believers may have. As Christians we are to be kind, compassionate, humble, gentle and patient with one another. Quick to forgive, and eager to preserve unity within the body (Colossians 3:12-14).
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons if your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
(Matthew 5:43-45 NASB)
Jesus confronts what must have been a common belief in His day. "While the law commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, we still have the right to hate our enemies." That would be convenient for most, and it is easy to see how an unsaved individual could apply this reasoning to their lives. However Jesus came to shake up the religious hypocrisy of the day. What was applicable two thousand years ago is just as applicable today. We are not exempt from loving those who we consider our enemies. On the contrary, we are called to meet their needs as well.
"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:20-21 NASB)
We are called to be different from the world. The kingdom of God operates in a complety different way than that if this world. Where the world is quick to judge, condemn and hate, Christ calls us to love and forgive. History records instances of Christians who have practiced loving their enemies and doing good to their persecutors.
Make sure your motives are pure. Many Christians look at "heaping burning coals" on the heads of their enemies as a "divine way of getting revenge." If I do something nice for my enemy it will get under his skin and drive him crazy. That is not love, but a subtle way of getting some revenge. In ancient times people who needed fire would go around with a container looking for coal. A kind neighbor would place burning coals in this basket which was carried upon the head of the needy individual. This was a blessing to a person in need. This is what Paul has in mind in this passage.
Jesus was confronted by a teacher of the law who wanted to know what he should do to receive eternal life (see Luke 10:30-37). When asked by Jesus what the law said, the man answered, "You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus told the man that he answered correctly, and then told him to do this, and he will live. Now comes the tricky question, "Who is my neighbor?"
Jesus answers this with a parable that hit right at the root of ethnic division. I'm sure this was as shocking to His listeners as was His command to love our enemies. You see, the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:9). They were despised by the Jews, and no doubt, the feelings were mutual.
A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers and left half dead. A priest came along, crossed the road to avoid this man and walked on. Likewise, a levite did the same. A Samaritan was the one who stopped, bandaged up the man and brought him to an inn for help. This Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews, was the one who had compassion, who went out of his way to save this man's life at his own expense. This is the kind of love we are called to exhibit.
Love knows no ethnic or racial boundaries. It goes beyond economic and social class. James rebuked individuals within the church who were despising the poor among them while catering to the rich. This was a violation of the royal law to live your neighbor as yourself (James 2:1-13).
It is interesting how James uses the commandment prohibiting murder as an example in this passage. Is he implying that the partiality taking place in this congregation was akin to murder? Jesus would think so. He warns that murder begins in the heart. You may not actually kill your brother, but unchecked anger is just as evil in God's sight. In 1John 3:15 we read that Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
These are sobering words. As I stated above, love is a natural outflowing of God's divine nature through us as believers. As people who have been renewed by the Holy Spirit we now have a new nature. I would like to clarify however that we must walk in this new nature. Our cooperation with the leading of the Spirit is necessary if we are to see love flow out of our lives toward others. In this world we will find ourselves in situations where our patience is tested. We will come across individuals who are hard to love. We must continue to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, always ready to forgive, and love, which binds all of these things together (Colossians 3:12-14).
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