Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

That’s it.  To obey Jesus, all we need to do is love people the way He loves us.

Not necessarily a piece of cake, though.  In fact, there are a lot of religious things that we could do that would be a whole lot easier!  How exactly do we love others the way He loves?  Many people claim to be lovers and not haters, but their words and actions often don’t live up to their profession.  The catch phrase in Jesus’ commandment is “as I have loved you.”

So, how did Jesus love us?

Sacrificially, and with humility! 

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

And with multifaceted completeness!

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne, steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

Some things that God’s love is not include envy or boasting, arrogance or rudeness.  God’s love is not selfish, irritable, resentful, and does not rejoice with what God identifies as sin—these characteristics identify what is not love.

It gets a little tricky nowadays as saying what God says and declaring what scripture identifies as sin is considered “hate speech”; yet, we cannot claim to love someone when we are rejoicing with their wrongdoing instead of honoring what is true according to the Bible.

…because God is love! 

“So, we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)

The only way we can get to the point where we are able to obey Jesus’ commandment to love one another (and there are no exclusions to His mandate in scripture) is to abide in Him:

“Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us makes possible for us to do what is humanly impossible—love others the way God loves!

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

The choice is up to us, though, whether we will live in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, clinging to the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), or be swayed by the opinions of the world, the flesh, and the enemy—particularly when they are so loud, intimidating, and seem so convincing. 

I’ve begun studying the book of Revelation with some friends and my heart and thoughts have become stuck on Jesus’ message to the Ephesians:

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. (Revelation 2:2-5)

The church at Ephesus was an active, hardworking, patiently enduring, and doctrinally sound church—yet they were missing something.  Amidst all their religious activities they were missing the most important works of all, the ones engendered through their love for the Savior.

I’m pretty sure that the love problems we have in the world, and particularly in some situations and with some people, can be traced directly to our love relationship with Jesus.  Happily, He gives us the cure for our broken hearts:  Remember, Repent, and Return to our first love.