The next relationship principle of Jesus was ....
Relationship Principle #3: Love One Another like Christ loves us.
John 15:12 (LB) says, “This is My commandment: that you love each other as much as I love you.” Why is this so important? Some relationships have degraded into just habit. They need a new personal relationship action of love toward one another.
Instead of a list of rules or habits, I need a living example and my family needs a living example. How much of what you call love in your life has become merely a habit? You just do it because you did it yesterday, whether it’s bathing your kids when they’re little or whether it’s going to work to support your family or whether it’s giving to the How much of what you call love is sort of a habit?
Remember the expression of love that was in your first meal as a couple? Remember the first time you changed your baby’s diaper? There’s always the expression of love when you change a baby’s diaper. Remember the love that was there are the beginning. Go back to that. Start to do those same things that have become a habit in your life but inject love into them again.
Rediscover the attitude of love in everyday habits of your life. Say to yourself, “I’m doing this because I love him/her/you.” Try that for a week and see what happens. Why is it so important? Because a lot of life is routine. If you don’t allow love to become a part of the routine of life you’re going to miss an incredible amount of joy in your life.
How do you improve your loveability? How do you make yourself by God’s power and strength, allow Him to make you, the kind of person who can carry out these kinds of actions? Four things.
1. We’ve got to get a better example. Do it “as I have loved you.” With relationships, we all tend to follow the example that’s been set for us. We tend to raise our children as we’ve been raised. We tend to have the kind of marriage that our parents had. We tend to model our fellowship with believers after the example we were given as a new believer.
The question is: what if you’ve been given some bad examples to follow? How do you create a good kind of love in your life? What if your parents didn’t have a great relationship? No parent had a perfect relationship. We follow Jesus’ example. Listen to
1 Corinthians 11:1. The Apostle Paul says, “And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.” That’s why we’re doing this message series, so each of us will follow the example Christ gave us. My prayer is that when we see how Christ lived, we’ll develop Christ like thinking and Christ like living and Christ like character.
2. We’ve got to get a stronger foundation. If I’m going to love like God calls me to love, I need a stronger foundation. I can’t give unconditional love unless I’ve received unconditional love. You can’t do what we’re talking about without receiving the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. God’s love, the agape love that He loves us with, is unconditional love.
Jesus laid His life down for me. That’s the foundation for love. Jesus loves you. He gave His life for you. When He died on the cross, He died for the world, but He also died personally for you. Nothing that you did today can keep Him from loving you.
Nothing that you do tomorrow can keep Him from loving you. You may not feel like it but Jesus loves you. Say in your heart, “Thank You, Jesus, for Your love for me.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV) says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
3. We’ve got to have a higher purpose. In most love songs, most movies today, love is the highest purpose. If I’ve found love, I’ve found everything. If you find one great love in your life, that’s the best in life. But Jesus said in John 13:35 says, “… by this all the world will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (our memory verse this week)
This may be the most important thing I’m going to say this morning: Love must have a purpose higher than itself. If the highest purpose is to love better, it’s not enough. It won’t draw me to the kind of love that God wants in my life.
The purpose that Jesus challenged here is let the world see whose you are. Let the world see that you’re Mine. When you let that be the purpose of love in your life then you’re empowered to a new kind of love. Would to God that the world would see how you love your spouse and you kids and your neighbors and co-workers and be drawn to Christ because of that love. That is the higher purpose we all need.
4. We’ve got to tap into a stronger power. 1 John 4:19 (ESV) talks about the kind of power we need. It says, “We love, because He first loved us.” The power to love and forgive and sacrifice – it doesn’t come from your will power – your strength. It comes from God. You tap into that power when you receive Jesus Christ into your life.
When you step off the throne of your life and allow Jesus to assume His rightful position in your life. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!
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