(2 John 4-6) 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
The new "commandment of Christ" mentioned in this passage is one of divine love. This divine love is brought to the heart of the believer through the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 5:5) "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."
Christ, Himself, gave us this "new commandment" from His very mouth, (John 13:34) "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
Christ also spoke of love being the greatest commandment above all others!
(Matt. 22:36-39) "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
In this we can clearly see the difference of the "law of Moses" and the "law of Christ." The Old Testament Law demands love, oh but the New Testament Law, the words spoken by Christ Himself is LOVE, and therefore take the place of external law by fulfilling it! (Romans 8:8, 10) 8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." 10 "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
So when Christ spoke the words in John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments.", He not only told us how, but showed us how!
1) Love God
2) Love each other
How do we keep His commandments?! It can be summarized in one word, LOVE! (Galatians 5:14) "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Love is the most important word in our vocabulary for love is how we have a relationship with our Father through His Son. (Romans 5:8) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Below is one of my favorite hymns. I hope you too will enjoy!
Love constrained to Obedience
No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright:
And what she has she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.How long beneath the law I lay
In bondage and distress;
I toll’d the precept to obey,
But toil’d without success.Then, to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do;
Now, if I feel its power within,
I feel I hate it too.Then all my servile works were done
A righteousness to raise;
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways."What shall I do," was then the word,
"That I may worthier grow?"
"What shall I render to the Lord?"
Is my inquiry now.To see the law by Christ fulfilled
And hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.
Stephen Underwood
Acts 20:24
www.stephenunderwood.net
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