A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 NIV
The Inspiration:
Again, we read here the words of the greatest leaders of all time. Jesus speaks here to His disciples: men at the time, as well as all who have surrendered their lives to the total control of Jesus. Whatever it is you may have heard in the past, this is the season of the new. Whatever it was that we thought we knew or were familiar with, Jesus charges us to follow a new path. It is easy to go down the old beaten road of the familiar, but anyone who will walk with and work for God must be ready for the challenge of the new. God is both very predictable and unpredictable, because truth is His nature, but the path He takes me to encounter and experience that truth will be different from yours. I must be ready to listen to and learn from Him, so I can be all He wants me to be. Are you a disciple? After all, I came to Him because I needed help; if I know I do, I should then not struggle to obey whatever it is He commands.
The Contention:
Today's verse is one of his commands, and it is to LOVE. Love here does not wait for acceptance, and it is not given subject to conditions, but simply because it is a command from the leader. If I recognize the authority of the leader, I will strive to do all He commands. He will not place on me a demand for something He has not supplied grace for. To make matters even better, He doesn't just tell me what to do; He shows me what and how. His own life is the perfect example of love that I can emulate. He doesn't hide expectations from me, and His life has many examples I can emulate. He doesn't just say; He leads from the front and as I follow his lead, I know I cannot go wrong.It is a new command, because it comes from the One whose life bears allegiance to what He demands. The old way was about reciprocal arrangements, where I responded in kind to what you did to me.
The Conclusion:
The old way of life allowed hypocrisy and eye-service, and there was really no way to measure the sincerity gauge of the affection shown. The new way here makes it clear: the example to follow is that of Jesus. He didn't wait for me to deserve it; He showed me love. Even for all who reject Him today, His love still waits. He is there until it is too late, and then, it really is too late. Whilst I still have time, I must embrace the love I have been shown. It is from what I have received that I can also give, as a man cannot give that which he does not have. When I have embraced His Love, then my own life becomes a visible and audible expression of God's love. He is the real deal, and all who come to Him receive the grace required to live out this love. What are you waiting for? If you are not yet His child, the fact that you are able to read this means it is not too late for you. Whilst you still can, make the approach and embrace God's love. By this, you would have secured eternal life with God for yourself. He has spoken, and He waits on all of us. How do you plead? God's time of favour is here..
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