Love one Another

Love. It's a theme that comes back every now and then through my blog posts, but it is also a theme that is central to our lives as a Christian. God has shown us Amazing love and grace, (as we read in Romans 5:8 - God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us), and because we live in that love we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We know what love is because Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our bothers and sisters (1 John 3:16)

We respond to the love of God with love ourselves. Our hearts should overflow with thankfulness and love for Him and we show that in our actions. One example of the actions that we do would be in keeping the 10 commandments. These are summarised in Matthew 22 where Jesus says: Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. (vs 37-39). We love God and our neighbour. The two go together. Love for God for what he has done for us, and love for our neighbour because of what God has done for us.

In his book Generous Justice, Timothy Keller speaks about how it is only through our understanding of God's grace and in receiving of his love that we can give that same love to our neighbours. This is said in the context of providing justice and mercy to those in need but applies even more so to our church family. We have been shown the most amazing love, love that we didn't deserve, we must accept and understand that love so that we can show it to others.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34