Day 26 - The Commandment of Love
Day 26 - The Commandment of Love
Written By: Katelyn Boyd
SCRIPTURE
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
(1 John 2:9-11)
DEVOTIONAL
There is something beautiful that I have learned and experienced about community within the body of Christ over the last several years; the Lord has shown me what a blessing it is to do life with people who love my children like their own. One of the ways the people in our church family love me well is by loving and caring for my babies, whether that is by picking them up from school when I can’t, teaching them about Jesus, or praying with me for their salvation and maturity in the faith. For the people in my life, their love for my children is directly related to their love for me; they love my kids because they are mine. No one could truly love me if they hated my children. Similarly, today’s passage shows us the connection between love for God and love for his people.
In this passage, we see John challenging the inconsistency between what believers often claim about their relationships with God and their conduct toward one another. He sets out three indicators of a believer’s fellowship with God: “keep my commandments (verses 3-5),” “live in the light (verses 9-10),” and “love your brother (verses 10-11).” This passage tells us that living in the light of fellowship with God goes hand in hand with “loving fellow believers.” You cannot walk in fellowship with God if you are not also consistently loving the members of the family of God; so, the way that we love one another is directly related to our love for God. This is a sobering thought! As believers, none of us are perfect, but based on this passage, our love for one another ought not to be conditional upon the merit of the other person, or the way they do or do not love us as they should. Our love for one another within the Body of Christ is based solely upon our love for the Lord. If we love our God, we love our brother. Period.
John goes on to say in verse 10 that hatred for other believers indicates that we are still walking in darkness, or are out of fellowship with God. The Greek word used for hate here, miseo, connotes habitual hatred. It means to detest someone; to harbor unjustifiable animosity toward someone else. This kind of hatred not only puts us in darkness and out of fellowship with God, but it leads to aimless activity and loss of direction and clarity, as one who hates his brother “does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness (verse 11). We cannot simultaneously be in fellowship with God and out of fellowship with another believer. Hating other members of the family of God is equivalent to walking in darkness, and as children of Light, we don’t belong in darkness!
Verse 10 also reminds us that believers who love one another are walking in light and are not obstacles to others, or do not cause others to stumble and fall. If we were all to be really honest, we would probably agree that one of the greatest obstacles among believers is a lack of love. Loving one another is messy; it goes beyond mere profession of love and requires action. It costs something–time, energy, money, pride, commitment. It requires us to die to our own preferences and to the love of self that so often bubbles to the surface of our hearts and actions. Loving members of the family of God involves commitment. This kind of love requires that we are in fellowship with the Lord, receiving direction and power from the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t ask us to love one another in our own strength; He knows we cannot. But, praise God, He has given us a Helper! Romans 5:5 reminds us that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” We can draw on the Spirit’s power in order to love others unconditionally, as He loves us.
ACTION STEP
John Piper says that “love is the living evidence of new birth and eternal life.” So, today, examine the evidence of new birth in your life by assessing how you are doing at loving other believers, not only by a profession of love, but by action. Is there anyone you need to seek out, perhaps to apologize to or to have a difficult conversation with, in order to restore fellowship with that person and with God?
PRAYER TIME
Father, I love you, because you first loved me. Help me to love your people well, because of my love for you. Help me not to be a stumbling block to others, but instead, to love other believers in word and deed. Help me to draw on the power of your Spirit to love with a capacity beyond myself; I pray that the world would see and be drawn to your love because of my love for others within your body. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
(1 John 2:9-11)
DEVOTIONAL
There is something beautiful that I have learned and experienced about community within the body of Christ over the last several years; the Lord has shown me what a blessing it is to do life with people who love my children like their own. One of the ways the people in our church family love me well is by loving and caring for my babies, whether that is by picking them up from school when I can’t, teaching them about Jesus, or praying with me for their salvation and maturity in the faith. For the people in my life, their love for my children is directly related to their love for me; they love my kids because they are mine. No one could truly love me if they hated my children. Similarly, today’s passage shows us the connection between love for God and love for his people.
In this passage, we see John challenging the inconsistency between what believers often claim about their relationships with God and their conduct toward one another. He sets out three indicators of a believer’s fellowship with God: “keep my commandments (verses 3-5),” “live in the light (verses 9-10),” and “love your brother (verses 10-11).” This passage tells us that living in the light of fellowship with God goes hand in hand with “loving fellow believers.” You cannot walk in fellowship with God if you are not also consistently loving the members of the family of God; so, the way that we love one another is directly related to our love for God. This is a sobering thought! As believers, none of us are perfect, but based on this passage, our love for one another ought not to be conditional upon the merit of the other person, or the way they do or do not love us as they should. Our love for one another within the Body of Christ is based solely upon our love for the Lord. If we love our God, we love our brother. Period.
John goes on to say in verse 10 that hatred for other believers indicates that we are still walking in darkness, or are out of fellowship with God. The Greek word used for hate here, miseo, connotes habitual hatred. It means to detest someone; to harbor unjustifiable animosity toward someone else. This kind of hatred not only puts us in darkness and out of fellowship with God, but it leads to aimless activity and loss of direction and clarity, as one who hates his brother “does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness (verse 11). We cannot simultaneously be in fellowship with God and out of fellowship with another believer. Hating other members of the family of God is equivalent to walking in darkness, and as children of Light, we don’t belong in darkness!
Verse 10 also reminds us that believers who love one another are walking in light and are not obstacles to others, or do not cause others to stumble and fall. If we were all to be really honest, we would probably agree that one of the greatest obstacles among believers is a lack of love. Loving one another is messy; it goes beyond mere profession of love and requires action. It costs something–time, energy, money, pride, commitment. It requires us to die to our own preferences and to the love of self that so often bubbles to the surface of our hearts and actions. Loving members of the family of God involves commitment. This kind of love requires that we are in fellowship with the Lord, receiving direction and power from the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t ask us to love one another in our own strength; He knows we cannot. But, praise God, He has given us a Helper! Romans 5:5 reminds us that the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” We can draw on the Spirit’s power in order to love others unconditionally, as He loves us.
ACTION STEP
John Piper says that “love is the living evidence of new birth and eternal life.” So, today, examine the evidence of new birth in your life by assessing how you are doing at loving other believers, not only by a profession of love, but by action. Is there anyone you need to seek out, perhaps to apologize to or to have a difficult conversation with, in order to restore fellowship with that person and with God?
PRAYER TIME
Father, I love you, because you first loved me. Help me to love your people well, because of my love for you. Help me not to be a stumbling block to others, but instead, to love other believers in word and deed. Help me to draw on the power of your Spirit to love with a capacity beyond myself; I pray that the world would see and be drawn to your love because of my love for others within your body. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Posted in 28 Days of Prayer and Fasting
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January
January 9th, 2023 - Adventure AwaitsJanuary 10th, 2023 - The Burning BushJanuary 11th, 2023 - Strong and Courageous January 12th, 2023 - Obediently Set ApartJanuary 13th, 2023 - Faithful Among Enemy NationsJanuary 14th, 2023 - Adventure AwaitsJanuary 16th, 2023 - Be StillJanuary 17th, 2023 - God Inhabits His PraisesJanuary 18th, 2023 - Enjoying God's PresenceJanuary 19th, 2023 - Broken & Contrite HeartJanuary 20th, 2023 - Asking for OthersJanuary 21st, 2023 - Petition and ProvisionJanuary 23rd, 2023 - One Body, Many PartsJanuary 24th, 2023 - Love One AnotherJanuary 25th, 2023 - Unity in the BodyJanuary 26th, 2023 - Consider Others BetterJanuary 27th, 2023 - Living in the LightJanuary 28th, 2023 - Don't Let Anger Control YouJanuary 30, 2023 - The Power of FastingJanuary 31st, 2023 - Pray as You Can
February
February 1st, 2023 - ScriptureFebruary 2nd, 2023 - Sabbath Day, Best DayFebruary 3rd, 2023 - SimplicityFebruary 4th, 2023 - WorshipFebruary 6th, 2023 - Love Your NeighborFebruary 7th, 2023 - Come and See, Go and TellFebruary 8th, 2023 - GenerosityFebruary 9th, 2023 - Caring for the VulnerableFebruary 10, 2023 - HospitalityFebruary 11th, 2023 - Build
2022
January
Covid UpdateDay 1 - Is It Worth It?Day 2 - God Promises His PresenceDay 3 - Aligning Ourselves With GodDay 4 - The Voice of the ShepherdVision 2022 - Begins this Sunday!Day 5 - Rushing or Resting?Day 6 - "By the Grace of God"Day 7 - A Day for Rest and WorshipDay 8 - Ask Boldly and Surrender CompletelyDay 9 - Our Deliverance for His GloryDay 10 - Ask for the ImpossibleDay 11 - Adversity Meets Unwavering FaithWhat an incredible start to 2022!!Day 12 - Focus Reveals FaithDay 13 - Impossible Mission!Day 15 - Followers of JesusDay 16 - The Good News of God’s LoveDay 17 - Radical Love Leads People to JesusLet's Try this Again...Day 18 - Relentless CommitmentDay 19 - Unending Power SourceDay 20 - Come and See, Go and TellDay 22 - Many Parts, One BodyDay 23 - A New Command - Love One AnotherDay 24 - One Body and One LordDay 25 - Be Angry, But Do Not SinDo you Belong?Day 26 - The Commandment of LoveDay 27 - The Attitude and Obedience of Christ
March
Day 1 - Seeking the Lord TogetherDay 2 - Ash WednesdayDay 3 - The Baptism of JesusDay 4 - The Word as a WeaponDay 5 - Freedom in ConfessionDay 6 - Love Your EnemiesDay 7 - Anxious for NothingDay 8 - Effective PrayerDay 9 - Amazing FaithDay 10 - The Bleeding WomanDay 11 - Confidence in GodDay 12 - Fear Not!Day 13 - Come and RestDay 14 - Kingdom Minded CommunityDay 15 - The TreasureDay 16 - Peace in His PresenceDay 17 - Raise the RoofDay 18 - A Parent's CommitmentDay 19 - Too Good to be TrueDay 20 - Only JesusDay 21 - The Ninety-Nine and the OneDay 22 - Salvation Through SurrenderDay 23 - Good Rest from a Good ShepherdDay 24 - Read the RoomDay 25 - A Fruitful FaithDay 26 - The Wedding FeastDay 27 - Serve Like Jesus