In viewing how we love each other, does world doubt our love for them?
John 13:34-35 ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’.
- Ever come across someone who seeking spiritual things, maybe bit interested in Jesus, but could care less about Christians and churches?
- Ever hear someone say that the love Jesus displayed was really good, but then stays away from His followers?
- Even as you show love to the world through social justice movements, charitable projects and generous giving, have you or your church still felt a hesitancy by others to know more about Jesus?
Many times I believe people in the world express hesitation to come into the Kingdom because they does not trust the love we are expressing to them. They suspect our love is a ruse, a come-on, a fleeting gesture to get them to pray a prayer, or join a church. They search for hidden motives for the love, second-guessing its intention. They wonder about our commitment to loving them.
What are we missing?
Even amidst social justice out-reaches to right racial, gender and income inequalities. Even in the middle of food distributions and clothes drives, and especially during salvation outreaches, people cautiously view our love with suspicion.
God so loved the world, so we try to love the world. God came to serve, so we have come to serve. God came to have relationship, so we have come to relate to the world. Why does it seem not to work out so well? Why isn’t the world clamoring to join our churches, and be apart of the kingdom of God?
Because we have missed a step! We have gone straight from God loving the world, to us loving the world. But actually there are many more verses about us loving each other, and Jesus Christ commands us to love each much more than He commands us to love the world, and we have missed it much of the time.
How have we missed it?
In our determination to have good doctrine, we lambast, belittle or even condemn other Christians who don’t agree with us. Divisions and backbiting doesn’t help sell our love to the world. A person might wonder if the church will stop loving them if they have an idea or comment that doesn’t fit ‘good doctrine’?
We trivialize our mistakes, and magnify those of other ministries, in the hopes of attracting a crowd to our address. ‘A loving family doesn’t trample its own, but churches do’, thinks a potential believer, ‘maybe I can find Jesus elsewhere?’
In our rush to try to stay pure and purge sin, we exile fallen ministers, not remembering a thing about forgiveness and reconciliation. That makes the world second guess our love for them, for they think they will never be forgiven if they ever stumble.
- John 13:35 ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (NIV)
- John 15:12 & 15:17 ‘This is my command: Love each other.‘ (NIV)
- 1 John 4:21 ‘And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister‘ (NIV)
Among other verses, we can see that we are greatly hampering our ability to show God’s love to the world, if the world sees Christians and churches not loving each.
Do you love and express your love to all types of people in your church? Not just the ones from the same age or culture group as you, but all the others.
These are all people we are going to spend eternity in heaven with! Start asking the Father’s love to wash over you to love these people who already know Him. They know His love, and might love you back as well!
The ‘love one another’ command doesn’t stop at the doorway of your church or fellowship, it extends to include the entire Kingdom of God. Other God loving, Jesus saving, ‘believe He did for our sins, and God raised Him from the dead’, Holy Spirit sealed saints, who happen to:
- Have a different worship style than your church
- Have some different ministry patterns than your church (house church, mega church …)
- Believe in different gifts, or how they should be ministered
- Have people of different colors and languages than your fellowship
- Have baptisms in a different way than your church
- Take communion in a different way than your fellowship
- Promotes different social programs than your church thinks in appropriate
- Have a bigger building & budget than your church
- Seems to allow a different dress code, or talk about money more, or health more …
The world watches how we treat and love each other, and the world isn’t going to want to be apart of God’s family if it isn’t a loving one. If the world sees you not loving a portion of that church, they distrust your words and actions when you say you love the world.
A new challenge for an old command
So instead of trying to serve and love the world better, maybe spend a season trying to love and serve the people in your church better, and love and serve people of other churches.
Nothing is as inviting as a hand extended from a loving family.
Nothing more distrusted, than a hand inviting you into a dysfunctional group.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another – Jesus Christ
