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The Evolution of Love: From Neighbor to Christ-like

How did Jesus' teachings transform the understanding of love?

AdventAI

look up John 13: 34, John 15: 17, 1 John 3:11, lev 19:18 and compare

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Leviticus 19:18

18 You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

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1 John 3:11

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

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John 15:17

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

AdventAI

John 13:34

34 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

AdventAI

It is wonderful to explore the depth of God's commands regarding love in these verses. The core message that emerges is a profound and evolving call to love, with Jesus raising the standard to a divine level.

The Command to Love Our Neighbor

  • ** Leviticus 19:18**: This verse lays the foundational command in the Old Testament: "You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." This divine injunction is a fundamental principle within God's moral law, forming part of the second table of the Ten Commandments, which outlines our duty to our fellow human beings. This principle demands impartial love to our fellow-man and is a practical regard for the rights of all beings according to their real and relative value. Jesus Himself affirmed that this command, along with loving God supremely, forms the basis upon which all the law and the prophets hang Matthew 22:39-40. This law of love is the foundation of God's government and the only service acceptable to Heaven.

The New Commandment: Love One Another as Christ Loved Us

  • ** John 13:34**: Here, Jesus introduces what He calls "A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." This command transcends the traditional understanding of loving one's neighbor as oneself, elevating the standard to the self-sacrificing love Christ demonstrated. The "newness" lies in the unparalleled measure of love—the way Christ Himself loved His disciples. This supreme love for God, manifested through love for one another, is the one great principle that keeps humanity together in unselfish fellowship. It is also referred to as "the law of Christ," fulfilled when we bear one another's burdens Galatians 6:2.

  • ** John 15:17**: Jesus reiterates this vital instruction, stating, "These things I command you, that you love one another." This underscores the importance and centrality of mutual love among His followers. It is a command for believers to love one another as Christ has loved them, a love that offers God's people supremacy and is a step heavenward.

  • ** 1 John 3:11**: This verse confirms the enduring nature of this command: "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." The message of loving one another is not a recent addition but a foundational truth, heard "from the beginning" 1 John 3:11. This emphasizes that while Jesus presented it as "new" in its depth and standard, the essence of love for one another has always been God's message for humanity, directly contrasting with the hatred exemplified by Cain 1 John 3:12.

Comparison of the Commands

The progression from Leviticus to John reveals a magnificent expansion of the law of love:

  1. Foundation in Love for Neighbor: Leviticus 19:18 establishes the baseline, requiring us to love our neighbor as ourselves Leviticus 19:18. This principle is deeply embedded in God's moral law, which is perfect and converts the soul Psalm 19:7.

  2. Elevation to Christ's Standard: Jesus, in John 13:34 and John 15:17 elevates this command by setting His own divine love as the benchmark. We are now called to love one another as Christ has loved us John 13:34. This is a higher standard, reflecting His infinite sacrifice and compassion.

  3. Everlasting Principle: 1 John 3:11 affirms that this command to love one another is an enduring "message... from the beginning" 1 John 3:11. This highlights that God's law of love is eternal and immutable, continuously revealed and magnified throughout history.

In essence, while "love your neighbor as yourself" is a vital part of the divine law and the whole duty of man Ecclesiastes 12:13 the "new commandment" to "love one another as I have loved you" raises the standard to perfect, unselfish, Christ-like love. This distinguishing love among believers is the ultimate evidence to the world that they are Christ's disciples John 13:35. It is through this loving service to others that the entire law of God is fulfilled Galatians 5:14.

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