John 15:9-12 reads: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
In this passage of scripture, Jesus gives us, as New Testament believers, a commandment. In this commandment, He instructs us to love. However, He goes on to further instruct us how we should love. He says in verse 12 that we are to love in the same manner as He has loved us.
Jesus’ love towards us knows no bounds. His love for us was so great that He was willing to give up His divinity in heaven, come down to earth to live as a man and die on the cross so that we would have everlasting life. Wow, that is some big love and that type of love is the love he commands us to show one another.
In America, following one of the most historic elections in history, I see the nation is torn right down the middle. Passions are high, anger is high, hatred is high and disappointments are high. In this moment in history, what I feel God wants us to get to is found in John 15:9-12.
He desires for us to get to the place where we can love any and all. A place of love where we can love those who differ from us politically, love those who may not look like us, love those who may differ with us on religious ideas and even love those who we may not agree with the life they chose to live.
It’s amazing when you look at the ministry of Jesus Christ, we see He showed love to all. Saints, sinners, rich, poor, those in power and those who were suffering all experienced the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.
This is an area that I believe we as the Church have dropped the ball. We as Christians must get to the point to where we judge less and love more. It is then and only then we will be fulfilling Jesus’ command for our lives.
For information on Dr. John Gibson and his ministry, visit johngibsoninternational.com.
