I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
I
reduce all the do's and don'ts in the New Testament down to one word...Love.
I'm not unique in this. Jesus and Paul and John all point to love as the
driving force behind the Christian life. Love for God is expressed in a life
lived desiring to please God and glorify God. We wish to be united with God in
heart, mind and body. We are promised to share in His holy nature. Love for God
leads to a pursuit of holiness.
Peter said we are promised to share in God's nature. (2Pt 1:3-4) God is love. (1Jn 4:8)
Therefore sharing in the divine nature means to love as God loves, for God is the very definition of love. God is holy and we are called to share in His holy nature. His ways are higher than our ways. His love reaches to the heavens and stretches as far as the east is to the west. Our pursuit of holiness is a lifelong journey of growing in God's love.
Love
for neighbor leads us to forgive. We love others more readily when we have
accepted the gospel that we have offended God with our fallen sinful nature and
are in need of salvation. When we realize all of us people are in the same
condition, we are less judgmental. We begin to see others as those for whom
Christ died. We love by sharing words of hope from our faith, life giving words that
build up. We love by lifting burdens as we are able. We bring others healing and
health through prayer and resources. We love by helping, serving, and giving with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
We
love ourselves by continuing to feed on the bread of heaven, Jesus Christ, through a variety of devotional habits that keep us grounded in love and
growing in love. We admit that we need others in our journey of faith and
connect through fellowship groups and mentoring relationships, both giving and
receiving love as we journey together. We love ourselves by caring for our
bodies through healthy choices, knowing our bodies are God’s temple.
This
is why I think of discipleship in terms of love. We are
called to become a place where love is. Love is celebrated in worship
and daily life. Love is experienced in our fellowship, in worship gatherings,
in devotional circles, in small groups and friendships and in the joy of
grateful living. Love is experienced in the giving and receiving of love in all our
relationships, especially the fellowship of the body of Christ. Love is shared
as we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus. Love is shared as we work in
outward reaching mission and generous giving. Love is shared in our efforts to
invite and welcome those who do not yet belong to the church.
These
are the thoughts I have about discipleship.
Do
you feel this way of thinking about disciples fits Christianity?
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