A New Commandment

Jesus said on these two commandments, all of the words of the Law and the prophets hang. In other words, the entire Bible has been given to us to teach us about loving God and loving people. Simple right? Yet mankind through different doctrines have tried to make it complex and complicated by adding thousands of other rules and regulations in order to inherit His kingdom.

Love. It all breaks down to love. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples.” Love is the tell-tale sign. Without love it is just religious.

This is further emphasized in 1st Corinthians... “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1Cor. 13:1-3

It is easy for us to love our loved ones or those who also love us, but to love others in this world seems hard at times. However, Jesus has commanded us to do so. So are we to simply walk about this world loving everyone we come in contact with? Being vulnerable to those who would take advantage?Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."

So what is love as defined by God? The Bible says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. … And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1Cor. 13:4-13

Throughout God's Word it teaches us about His love. It is all about love, even loving our enemies. In Matthew 5:43-45 it tells us “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." 

I asked the Lord about this one morning. I said, " Are we really to really love our enemies? Those who hate us, abuse us and wish us harm? The answer the Holy spirit gave me answer in the most gentle and simplest way... He answered my question with a question, "Who do you consider your enemies?"

I gave Him a list, even mentioned some names to be specific. Then God continued to reply, almost as if He took me gently by the hand and placed me on His knee, much like a Father would do to a child whom He is instructing. He asked me another question, "Are not all people, friends or loved ones, even those whom you consider to be foes, God's creations?"

God loves all His creations. Yes, even those who may do evil. He may not like what they do, but He loves that person just the same. Almost like we use to say, "Hate the sin, not the sinner." We may 'sati', but God actually does it.

The Lord tell us in Jeremiah 1:1 that Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." Then the lord says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

The lord told me that those scriptures were meant regarding all the people he created. Some have gone along the path He has set out for them to follow, and yet, many have not. Nonetheless, God still loves them all. He is a respecter of no man. Even someone as evil as Hitler, God loves that person inside and had a plan for him to follow. Sad to say he chose to follow a different path. God has given us all free will regarding our lives down here. No matter what path we chose to follow, God loves us all, everyone. One day all those like Hitler shall be judged, yet even then, upon judgement, God will judge with a much broken heart because He loves His creation.

So are we to love our enemies? God does. He may not approve of what they do nor the hatred they have in their hearts... but the person, the creation He originally made, God loves that person with all His Heart, so much so that He sacrificed His only begotten son to die for them in His place.

When you absorb all God's Word, we understand God is love. Therefore it is of no surprise that Jesus made the statement to clarify and simply, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." And then followed it up by saying, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35