1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
When Jesus was tested by the religious people of His day, they asked Him what the greatest commandment was. Do you know the answer? He said: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘ (Mat. 22:37-39). This was also part of the law given to Moses in the book of Deuteronomy, and even see it in creation. God made all things and called them good. He made Adam and Eve in His own likeness. The great commandment describes this perfect relationship from the beginning. Adam and Eve loved God and loved one another. In the first ten verses, we’ve looked at man’s relationship with God. In verse ten, we saw the theme open to include loving our brother. Obeying God’s law is not only a personal hope, something I do on my own with the eager expectation of Christ’s coming to bring ultimate purity and peace. Obeying God is also a community practice. I want Christ to not only make me perfect, but also those around me (importantly, it is Christ working the change). Living as Christ lived goes beyond acting in ways that will draw me closer to God, it includes seeking to come to Christ with other people. This is a hard concept for my extremely selfish and individualistic mindset. Loving our brothers is an aspect of being in God’s kingdom, and it is the first thing John draws out after he describes what perfection is to look like. So, how am I loving my brother? Do I share my hope with those around me or am I keeping it to myself?
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