A New Standard
Dearly beloved, the Lord Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”
He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.”
The Lord was not speaking of keeping commandments under the Mosaic Law of the old covenant, he was giving them a new commandment. Romans 10:4 teaches, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes [regarding him].”
The Apostle John later wrote, “And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment.”
People will know that we are Christ’s disciples as we practice the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation.
We should, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. For example: Exodus 20:13-17: ‘You will not commit adultery, you will not murder, you will not steal, you will not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up [under one heading] in this word, namely, Leviticus 19:18: ‘You will love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does not work evil to the neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” The Working Translation, Rev. Walter Cummins
Dearly beloved, we ought to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Therefore, we ought to be imitators of God as His beloved children, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.
Let love be without hypocrisy. The Pharisee’s were hypocrites; we should love as God’s beloved children. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone; oh, I forgot, there are none. We have redemption through the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins by the riches of His grace.
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against anyone: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. And above all these things put on the love of God, which is the bond of perfectness [the uniting bond of maturity]. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.”
After all, beloved, what do we have that we have not received by the grace of God? “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” Until then, have the same care for one another and live love, beloved. Our Lord is coming!!