Love- The Command, The Gift, The Fruit, The Witness

 Love: The Command, the Gift, the Fruit, the Witness

Scripture: "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." - John 13:34,35

“Love, Love, Love, Love. The Gospel in one word is love- love your neighbor as yourself, for God is love.” Those are the words of a now-mostly-forgotten but great praise song.  

Love is a command. Jesus says it is the main thing of the first and second greatest commandment to love God and neighbor. Love is a gift. It is "the greatest of the gifts" and lasts forever, along with faith and hope- but it is even greater. Paul says it is the "most excellent way." 

Love is a fruit of the Spirit. That is, when we abide in him and the Holy Spirit is flowing through us, we will love. It is also how the world sees who we are and leads to them wanting more of Jesus. It is said of the early church by pagan observers: "See how they love one another."  

But we have become a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal because we have elevated our theories and ideas above love. Today when people speak of "love," they confuse agape (unconditional love) with eros (sexual love). God has placed parameters around love for the well-being of human beings. So adultery is just wrong: It hurts the spouse and breaks the covenant we make before God. To love another is to show kindness, and compassion, going out of your way for them; it is "more than a feeling."  

In Jeremiah 2 the people are condemned for forsaking the God of their youth to love other gods who are just counterfeit. Loving the Lord your God, really loving him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, is not a bad thing, even if other people seem to think so.  

We are created to love our Creator. One important thought on this is that God is one who can love and be loved in return. He is not just a machine or a great big computer or AI in the sky. Augustine of Hippo talked about ordering our loves correctly. If we love God first, we have made the first step. Luther said, "Love God and do what you will," meaning that if you truly love God, then love for neighbor, family and those hurting will surely follow. 

If we do this, then all the world will know that we are really his disciples. I long for the day when the non-church goer will say, "See how they love one another!" That, indeed, is a fruit of the Spirit.  God is love- and that shows in that it is everywhere as a command, a gift, a fruit, and a witness.  

Prayer: Lord, give me the will to love, the gift of love, the Spirit who enables me to love, and help my life be a witness to your love. Amen.