Love One Another
I've finished another book called “stop asking Jesus into your heart” by J.D. Grier. The title makes it seem as if you shouldn't be a Christian. But it really deals with those who doubt their salvation so much that they feel like they have to constantly ask Jesus into their heart. "Oh I messed up again! - Jesus come back into my heart." Well in his book, He biblically explains how some people falsely assume their saved because they said a prayer or walk an aisle or made some other religious expression of faith years ago. But unfortunately they never repented nor believed. And on the other hand there are those who never said such a prayer but they did repent and believe and therefore are saved. Like the thief on the cross. (It is by no means condemning leading people to repentance through prayer, however)
We might have all seen the kid biting the coin to see if it is real on movies and TV shows. When real gold was used for coinage, you could bite into the coin and it would leave a tooth mark because pure gold yields to pressure more than other metals, so by biting it you could see if it was real. There are certain evidences that prove Christians are who they claim to be, one of which is loving one another.
Wilmot Buxton shared a story about the battle of Tel-el-Keber, in it he mentions that the troops had no sufficient plans. The general offered a young naval officer to lead the Highland Brigade by the light of the stars to their destined post. When the fight began the Highlanders were ready, and among the first to fall was their young leader. The victory was gained, and the general hastened to the tent of the wounded officer. The dying man smiled as he raised his trembling hand to his commander, and looking him in the face said “General didn't I lead them straight?” We are leading our fellow men by our example, the question is, are we leading them straight?
Brotherly love is the defining characteristic of Christians. By it we know each other, by it others know us and by it Jesus will know us. Those will be our three points for our sermon this morning.
I. By loving one another, We know we are Christians
By loving one another, we have an assurance that we are regenerated. We have an assurance that we have eternal life. We have an assurance that we are saved.
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.” - 1 John 3:14
“We” is referring to “We, Christians”. Loving our brothers is evidence that we are saved. So we should take a moment and define love. In 1 Cor. 13 Paul defines love by what it is and by what it isn't. He said Love is patient, love is kind, it rejoices with the truth. He also said Love isn't proud or jealous, or rude or temperamental. Love shows itself through good works, love is charitable and forgiving. If you love one another you will be showing it. Love is a verb, an action word. Your action will support your profession, “..because we love our brothers” Charles Spurgeon said “We love them for Christ's sake, we love them for truth's sake, we love them for their own sake, we love them when the world hates them.” We love them in spite of their faults, infirmities, and inferiorites. We love them!
*We love their company
I Peter 2:17 commends us to “ ..love the brotherhood of believers..” There is a Turkish proverb that says “No road is long with good company” We are designed to be social creatures. We live in groups, work in groups, and socialize in groups. I mentioned Wednesday that Paul asks “what fellowship does light have with darkness?” The word 'fellowship' means partnership and we have a partnership with Jesus. Whenever we fellowship with each other we should remember we a partnership with Christ. We are all flock together but we are in his sheep pen.
As Peter calls us a 'brotherhood', it is a fraternity united to Christ, we are nearly related in the same interest, that's why we call one another brothers and sisters. We have communion with one another. We are going to be living in the same home soon and very soon – so we love one another's company and conversation with a unique and special fondness.
*We love their testimony
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” -Hebrews 10:24,25
We love hearing the testimony of believers, it is encouraging. It's nice to know that we are not alone in this journey. There are others who help us, encourage us, instruct us by their own testimony. Their story resonates with us. When we hear of another person who has the same disease we have, or also has a child that has passed away, or a family member that abandoned us, abused us, mistreated us, or someone else has found their spouse unfaithful, someone else also struggles with loneliness and sadness, their stories of God carrying them through can do more good than 1,000 sermons, so we love to hear them.
*We love their generosity
That one gift we hope to have, we love (or should love) to see it in others. We have a dear brother, Buck Miller, who loves to share from the abundance of his garden with the rest of us. And we love to receive it. And I can not tell you how much I love to see people giving to our food drive for the Gospel Rescue Mission. There is something about working together to give to the need of others that is both fulfilling and rewarding.
If God so loved the world, then we should as well. How can those who aren't gracious toward their brethren say they received the grace of Christ? Those who hate fellow Christians, give us good reason to doubt their salvation altogether.
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.” - 1 John 2:9,10
We know not every professed Christian is a Christian, but we must love them anyway. When we love one another, it is a sign that we are, what they claim to be. Luke 6:32 says “If you love those who love you what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Unbelievers love those who love them, they are kind to those who are kind to them, they respect those who respect them, they are friendly to those who are friendly to them. They would say “I am a good person” and by most standards they are right, But our love is undeniable when it is given to someone who doesn't deserve it, that hasn't earned it, or ever asked for it, for that is Christ-like love!
II. By loving one another, Others will know we are Christians
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35
We already read that “We know” because we love our brothers, but here we read that “everyone will know” that we are Christ's, because we love one another. The sinner and saint, the heathen and hypocrite, the pagan and the pious will all know who we are by our love for each other.
Always be ready to show love. I've been squirrel hunting three times this year and didn't see a thing and the one time I took my brother to the family cabin I saw one squirrel after another, and I didn't have a 22 or a pellet gun, nothing. Frustrating. As Christians we should have love, cocked and loaded, ready to go, not just having your hand on the handle but have your finger on the trigger as well. Be ready in season and out of season.
Peter wrote “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Tertullian said “the glory of the primitive church was that Christians were known by their affection to one another.” It was a defining characteristic. Even their enemies took notice of it, they would say “see how these Christians love one another”
We read in Galatians that the first fruit mentioned of the Holy Spirit is love. It's important not to mistake leaves for fruit. A true Christian can not be selfish. Paul said love is not self-seeking. Love is selfless. Wilmot Buxton gives us another worthy analogy; He notices that in some homes there are rooms that are lined with mirrors, so wherever you turn you see a reflection of yourself. Some of us live our whole life in that room – we are always contemplating ourselves. We spend our time looking into a mirror to see our beauty, our cleverness, our fine clothes. One mirror shows us our pleasures another shows us our sorrows, one shows us our amusements another shows us our misfortunes. But every inch of space is so filled with self that there is no room for someone else's joys or sorrows, most unfortunately there is no room for Jesus. (Wilmot Buxton)
While we were in Branson, Kaitlyn went into the maze of Mirrors with her friend. The interesting thing about the maze of mirrors is that the major obstacle is your own reflection. Kaitlyn informed me that wherever she turned she would see her self, then after quite a bit of confusion, she learned that the only way to get out was to go where she didn't see herself. In life, we can't help but see ourselves from every angle, but in order to get through to the end, we must be able to look past ourselves. The one major obstacle to loving others is being able to overlook ourselves.
III. By loving one another Jesus knows us as Christians
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” - John 10:14
“My sheep listen to my voice I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27
Jesus said in John 10:9 “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved...” There is only one gate to the sheep pen, and Jesus is it – “enter through the narrow gate...” You must believe in him in order to enter into his fold.
An evidence of our salvation is loving one another, because it is not natural for us to do so. Eph 2:3 in the King James says that we “...were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” In other words we were all born haters, it is part of the sinful nature of man. So there must be a change, and we can “will” ourselves to change and it may work but it won't last long until we get weary and give up. True change comes from Christ. When we believe in Christ, when we totally trust and rely in him for all things, we begin to have a new nature. (Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us at salvation 1 Cor. 12:13.)
It's not to say that by loving others we earn our place in heaven. Forcing ourselves to love one another will never make you saved, however being saved will force you love one another. We love because we believe and because we believe, we belong and because we belong to Christ, we are called his sheep. And loving one another is a brand that Christ has upon his own sheep.
As the cattle industry began to grow in the west, Branding cattle became a popular way to show ownership of livestock. It created an undeniable mark that allowed ranchers to keep up with their herds, and to identify other ranchers lost or stolen cattle. A lot of ranchers had book with brands and names beside them like a phone book but it was a brand book. You could easily identify a lost cow by its brand. Loving one another is the Christian brand. It shows we belong to our owner Jesus. Once we repent and believe in him, He brands our lives with love. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him.
Sheep are harmless and inoffensive, they are meek & quiet; patient & subtle, they are passive and tame; they are very sociable (loving) with one another. In fact they don't like to be separated from each other and they don't like to be alone. Goats on the other hand do. They are very independent, they are their own masters, they don't like to be told what to do. Goats are browsers, picking in choosing whatever suits their fancy, they are not grazers like the sheep who feed contently upon God's provision in perpetuity. Two different creatures who the good shepherd will separate in the end. Make every effort today to be counted among the sheep.
