Christian Challenges

Love Others As Jesus Loves You

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12

To be able to love other as Jesus loves us, we need to look at how much Jesus loves us.

John the beloved disciple, tell us this, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. This may be a hard thing to do but over the centuries there have been many people who laid down their lives to save the lives of their friends. However, Christ did far more than this. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

"In redemption God has revealed His love in sacrifice, a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. 'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. . . .'
"When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners deserved to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. 'The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth.' Christ by His human relationship to men drew them close to God. He clothed His divine nature with the garb of humanity, and demonstrated before the heavenly universe, before the unfallen worlds, how much God loves the children of men.
"The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all heaven." Sons and Daughter of God by E. G. White, p. 11.

In his epistle John tell us :-

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. . . . And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:8 & 16.

Love is also one of the fruit of the Spirit, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22, 23.

Paul admonished the Ephesians, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19.

Does God really expect us to be willing to lay down our lives for other men?

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16.

How much do you love your brethren? Do you have the love of God, the fruit of the Spirit dwelling within you?

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