"A new command I (Jesus) give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another." (John 13 : 34 + 35) NIV
 If anyone says he / she loves God but hates his brother / sister, he / she is a liar. "If anyone says, "I love God", yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he  has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this
command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4 : 20 + 21) So anyone who says he / she hates (or dislikes) his / her brother / sister even from within own church / fellowship or from any other
denominational churches (eg. Christian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, NGK, AGS [AFM], etc.) whom he / she can see AND love God whom he / she cannot see God, cannot be a  true Christian. Such person CANNOT love God if he / she hates his / her brother / sister for God is love. "… God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him." (1 John 4 : 16b)
" 'Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the
second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' " (Matthew 22 : 37 - 39)
Who is your neighbour? Your neighbour is your own brother / sister in Christ from any denominational church (doesn't matter which church you belong to for these
people believe in the same God - God the
Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Three-in-One God [Trinity]).
AND your neighbour CAN also be your enemy. Who is your enemy? Definitely not your brother /  sister from within your church or from any other denominational church but anyone who doesn't know God or believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as God, hates and persecutes you. So do we hate those enemies? No, the Word of God commands us to love our enemies. "You have heard that said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I (Jesus) tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…" (Matthew 5 : 43 - 46a)
 BUT if anyone who claims to be a "Christian", hates his / her brother / sister in Christ from
another denominational church, is very immature for there is no love in such a person. HATE is a strong word. "… I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." (Matthew 12 : 36)
God doesn't have a favourite church that He loves the most of all for He loves us ALL. "For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile - the same LORD is LORD of all and richly blesses all who call on Him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.' " (Romans 10 : 12 + 13)
The SAME LORD IS LORD OF ALL …
Who is Gentile? Anyone who is not Jew, is called Gentile. Therefore anyone who is Christian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Afrikaans Christian (NGK, AGS [AFM], etc.), is
Gentile. "Here there is no Greek or Jew, … but Christ is all and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the LORD forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3 : 11 - 14) |
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So Christ is ALL AND IS IN ALL ...
 We are also to forgive those who hate or persecute us. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not
forgive your sins." (Matthew 6 : 14 + 15) Anyone who says, 'Yes, I'll forgive you BUT I'll NEVER forget', it is still unforgiveness. If one forgives but doesn't forget,
neither will God the Father in heaven
forgive you. So we must FORGIVE AND FORGET…
 Love is powerful. "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 remains: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."(1 Corinthians 13 : 4 - 8a + 13)
We, Gentiles, as Christians or as
children of God, ought to love one another so that the world (unbelievers) outside may know that we are God's disciples. How
satan and the demons would laugh if we do not love one another! How can we show the example of God's love to the lost souls outside if we don't love one another?
"… make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." (2 Peter 3 : 14) Make sure that your lives are pure without any fault, hatred or
unforgiveness at the second coming of
Jesus Christ!
 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish (be separated from God forever) but have eternal life." (John 3 : 16)
So we must love one another just as Christ Jesus loves us ….
Bev Warmington (D)
A New Commandment I give unto you
A new Commandment I give unto you
That you love one another
As I have loved you
By this shall all men know
That you are My disciples
If you have love one to another
By this shall all men know
That you are My disciples
If you have love one to another |
