Radical in February: Living Love
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another…” John 13:34I
n a recent post—Radical in February: Jesus on Love—we looked at what Jesus said about love, and He made some radical statements. Then He commanded us to do the impossible: to love others just as He loved us—which He defined as “laying down His life for us.”
In this post we are going to see what writers of the New Testament tell us that kind of living love will look like. I find it helpful to think about my relationships, friendships, even acquaintances, neighbors, coworkers, and ask myself: How am I loving them
Here are a few of the encouragements to love for us:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9)
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… (Ephesians 5:25)
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? (1 John 3:17)
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
And the most well-known description of living love:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Of course, it is impossible for us to truly love like Jesus, apart from His living and loving through us by His Holy Spirit. So I am grateful that He provided radical power for such a radical requirement: to love as He loved.
What about you? How is the love of Christ lived out through you?
C 2013 Judy Douglass
Related post: Radical in February: Jesus on Love