Doctrine Lesson 2

Introduction

What is the greatest, most vital commandment made by God? The commandment of love! First, is to love God with all your heart, mind, body, and strength; second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Our specific doctrinal statement says “We believe that love one for another as Jesus loves the believer manifests our discipleship, proves our love for God and symbolizes our authoriyt as New Testament churches. Love is therefore the great commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ upon which all others are dependent.” I love that it states that our love for others proves our salvation. As we learned this morning in the sermon, you should test your salvation, and your love for others is a great test. If you claim salvation, but don’t love others you should probably search yourself.

Love the Lord first, then your neighbor second Matthew 22:35-40

As Jesus was preaching He had proven the Sadducees wrong, and when the Pharisees heard this they thought they would trip Him up, so they asked Him “what is the greatest commandment”. To this He replied with what we see in verses 35-40. If you search the commandments of the Lord, you will notice that each of them truly stems from loving God and loving others.

Love others as Jesus first loved you John 13:34-35 John 15:12-13

Here Jesus specifically says “love others as I have loved you”, then he goes on to say that no one has greater love than those that would lay down their lives for the ones they love. I find it hard to put into words the love that Jesus has for us, in that He was able and willing to go to the cross for us, while we were yet sinners. Do any of us deserve that love? Can any of us earn that love? Then why do we demand that others earn or deserve our love? Why can’t we love them just as Jesus loved us? Have you ever heard, or used the phrase “I don’t give my respect until somebody earns it. Respect is earned not given freely”. If everybody in the world thought this way then nobody would respect anybody, or love anybody! Somebody has to make the first step, blessedly for our eternal sakes, Jesus made the first step for our salvation. Now go out there and make the first step for others.

Love is of God 1 John 4:7-5:3

This is chapter of 1 John gives the most definitive definitions of love, God, and salvation. We see that love is from God, and only those of God can love, and any who do not love are not of God. God loved us first because He sent Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins. If God loved us so much He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us, how can we not also love Him? Do you know why I tell you that salvation is so much more than a simple prayer, then going about your business as normal? Because His love is perfected in us we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us, and with the Holy Spirit abiding in us we can know that Jesus is the savior of the world and confess that to all who will listen. Verse 16 says that God is love, and to abide in God we must abide in love. Notice in verses 20 and 21 that we are specifically told that if anybody says “I love God” and hates his neighbor then that person is a liar and cannot love God, then goes on to say that if you love God you must also love your brother.

Ephesus lost their love, don’t you lose yours Revelation 2:4-5

In John’s letter to Ephesus from the mouth of Jesus, in admonishment, he points to their abandonment of thier first love. What was this first love? Well, do you remember when you first got saved, and you had this swelling, warm, excited love toward Christ and holiness? That is the first love! if you aren’t careful you will lose this first love. I tell you, we should remain excited for the Lord, or we risk the same fate as Ephesus here. What’s more, is if your love for God diminishes, so will your love for others. Don’t let your love fade for your brothers, but especially not for God!