| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “What the world needs now” Our Bible verse for today: “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12 (CSB) Our thought for today: “It’s easy to say we love people but …” It’s easy to say we love people, but Jesus calls us to love them with our actions – in actual practice. Remember, love is a verb. It’s an action word. Rather than being an emotion we feel, love is often expressed as an action that was based on a decision which was born of obedience. That kind of obedient love borne out in action was beautifully illustrated by the example of the woman we learned about in yesterday’s devotional. Just to review: speaking about her ordeal of going to the prison to visit the man who had brutally raped her she said: It was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do. I was physically sick at the thought of seeing him again. On an emotional level, I was afraid of him; I was repulsed by him; and – I have to be honest – I hated him. But with my husband’s support and with the prayers of many Christian friends, I was able to go to the prison and face him and say what I had to say. My feelings were not the issue. I knew that what God wanted was my obedience. He wanted me to love that man with my will and with my words, even though in my emotions I couldn’t stand the sight of him.” In John 15:12 Jesus told His early disciples (and us) that we are to love others as He loves us. He was so serious about this that He said it twice in the span of just a couple of hours. He said it first in John 13:34-35 and then, just a little later, recorded here in John 15:12. Why did He say it twice? Because it’s that important. He wants us to love others like He loves us. With that statement Jesus did what He did on so many other occasions and with so many other Biblical principles – He took an Old Testament precept and He raised it to a new higher standard. In the Old Testament we’re taught not to commit murder. In the New Testament Jesus cautions against even thinking violent thoughts. In the Old Testament we are taught to not commit adultery. In the New Testament Jesus teaches that we should not even have lustful thoughts. In Leviticus 19:18 we were instructed to love our neighbor as yourself. Here in the New Testament, we’re taught to love others as Jesus loves us. Now the standard by which our love for others gets measured is not by how much love we have for ourselves, but how much love Jesus has for us. And how much is that? It is unlimited. It is unconditional. It is beyond description. Jesus loves you to the moon and back and then even more. But there’s a problem. That is a very high standard – an impossible standard. It’s so high that we cannot achieve it in our own power. It’s so easy to say that we love people but Jesus calls us to show it with our actions. Fortunately, He helps us to do it. Tomorrow we will see how. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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