We just celebrated Valentine's Day, not too long ago. It is a special day when we give our sweethearts cards and flowers, chocolates, and other special gifts. Maybe we might take our honey bunny to lunch or dinner, maybe we might bake something special for them. On Valentine's Day this year, I received oatmeal raisin cookies—my favorite!—shaped like hearts, and brownies with hearts on top. I also received a beautiful card that reminded me how much my wife, Marsha, loves me.
The Bible has so much to say about love. It's God's love letter to His children. He says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong" 1 Corinthians 13:4-5.
Jesus says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" John 15:12.
1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Do everything in love."
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Your love for others is the strongest argument for your faith in Christ.
There was always a command to love one another, but the command was talking about loving your neighbor as yourself. That's quite different. That was a different task to achieve considering how much man loves himself. "To love thy neighbor as thyself" this command was not new. It was given back in Leviticus 19. It was not something that the disciples were not familiar with. They had heard before that they were to love each other.
But this was different. This new command given says they were to love others as Christ loved them. This would be sacrificial. This would be forgiving. This would be a confronting type of love.
Sacrificial? Yes, because Christ gave Himself to be a sacrifice for mankind. He sacrificed His life by dying on the cross for our sins. He sacrificed all glory and honor to die a criminal's death upon the cross.
Forgiving because Christ forgave us of our sins. He reached down to sinful, undeserving man and gave him the ability to have the forgiveness of sins. With love like this—with love like—Christ, we can forgive others as Christ forgave us.
Your love for others must be Christ-like. Your love for others is the strongest argument for your faith in Christ.
You must be known by your Christ-like love for one other.
So I ask you a question: Got love?