Taking a Look at 1 John

“Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.  Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.”– 1 John 2:7-8 NLT

            Loving others is not a new concept, it shows up in the Book of Leviticus 19:18 _(NLT). It says: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” When Jesus came on the scene the commandment was not negated, but renewed. It was expanded upon. How was this done you may ask? Jesus came and fulfilled the Mosaic Law by living it out in front of the Israeli people. It was no longer simply a commandment, but it now had taken on life. 

            Some folks, of whom I am one, are visual learners. We learn lessons much more completely when we see them presented to us in visual form. So when Jesus lived out the Ten Commandments in front of his disciples and the rest of the Hebrew people, the lessons were bound to stick in the memories of the listeners. 

            Love isn’t only shown thru respect, but also thru self-sacrifice and servant hood. If we truly wish to imitate Christ, we must go beyond our friends to our enemies and those who persecute us. This is found in Matthew 5:43-48: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.