Read John 13:34-35
“… I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.”
John 13:34, (HCSB)
In the Upper Room, Jesus gave some final instructions to His apostles whom He would soon leave. He began that final lecture by challenging His disciples to love one another as He had loved them. Addressing this issue first in the Upper Room, speaks to the importance of it.
Love and unity in the church are critical to revitalization. Jesus stated that all people would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. Some of our churches are stagnate or in decline due to their lack of genuine love for one another and subsequent disunity. A watching world wonders if it can be loved by a group of people who do not seem to love one another.
In The Mark of the Christian, Francis Schaffer states that the love of Christ in the lives of believers is what sets them apart from the world. He concludes that the world has a right to judge the authenticity of Christ’s claims to be the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God, by what they see in the lives of His followers. Is Jesus the One who can change lives? Are the lives of His followers different than those of the world? Do they truly love one another in difficult times? Do you live in unity and love with other Christians?
