“So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you.” John 13:34 TPT
How is your love life?
We’ve got arena the new covenant, with a new commandment.
In this new covenant: The God kind of love reigns.
We are to live a life of love. Walk in love. Do everything out of love.
Rules in the Old Testament
In the old covenant God gave His people, Israel, the law through Moses. As they would follow the instructions and the law carefully (Joshua 1:8): they would see the promises fulfilled and the blessings. The Law was the schoolmaster (Gal. 3:24-25). With Jesus came the fulfillment of the promise God spoke by His prophets.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33 KJV
The Lord promised to put the law in the hearts of His people. At the time of Moses the nation of Israel were given directions for outside conduct, to give guidelines how to live a set apart life and be a holy nation unto God. These laws included everything for civil law to ceremonial practices.
New Law of Love
In the new God’s plan was fulfilled in the new creation (2. Cor. 5:17) governed by love.
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5 KJV
This God kind of love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Ghost as we were born again. God’s love is perfect. God is love (1. John 4:8).
New commandment is to operate in this God kind of love. As the new commandment is followed: blessings follow!
Are you living the life of love God designed you to live, or are you living under rules, traditions and religion? In other words: how is your love life?
What is love?
There are different kinds of love mentioned in the Word of a God.
- Human, or natural kind of love is always conditional and selfish. In other words: there is an exchange. If you do this, I’ll do this.
- Even the best kind of earthly love has a selfish component to it.
- God’s love in us is unselfish, is not self seeking. It is not centered around us.
“It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].” 1 Corinthians 13:5 AMPC
This is the love Jesus told us to live in.
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 KJV
How is your love life?
Always going with love
“Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.” Romans 13:10 AMPC
- Allow no bad thoughts or intent against anyone!
- Sometimes there are situations where your flesh and your mind feels justified to react outside of love
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV
- In all situations, and all circumstances. We go with love!
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Galatians 5:6 KJV
Forgive, and forgive!
“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 KJV
As a child of God forgiveness is required.
“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.”
― C.S. Lewis
- Bitterness and unforgiveness are causes for sickness and disease.
- Much torment in the mind comes from these issues of the heart.
- Faith doesn’t work without forgiveness (Mark 11:23-26)
- Prayers are hindered due to lack of love walk (1. Peter 3:7)
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 KJV
Walking in love: always forgiving. Quick to forgive.
Think of how much He has forgiven you.
Perfected in love
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12 KJV
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” 1 John 2:5 KJV
Love of God is already in us if we are born again and belong to Jesus, however that love is not perfected in us before we walk in the light of the word of God and start walking according to that love towards others.
Walking in the Blessing
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Galatians 5:14 KJV
Just as the word of God promises blessings for obedience to those in the Old Testament who walked in the shadow things to come, as we with our whole hearts walk in the light of the word, love Him, and love people… we can expect heaven’s best!
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Exodus 15:26 KJV
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:” Deuteronomy 28:1 KJV
Confession:
I’m living life in God kind of love
I love people
God’s love is perfected in me
Jesus gave me a new commandment
Love one another
As I have loved you
So from this day
I walk in forgiveness
I will walk in love