LOVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Jesus Christ commands the people that bear his name to love each other. 

The love we are called to have for one another is not some weak and ineffectual love that makes zero impact on our actions toward each other. No way. 

Jesus tells us that if we have received his love, then we must model our love for our brothers and sisters in the family of faith on his powerful and unending love.  

Listen to the command of the Lord:

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

(John 13:34-35 NIV11)

Draw / Repel

Not only are we called by Jesus Christ to model our love for one another on the love that he has shown for us, but he is counting on us to love in such a way that even the unbelieving world will take notice. 

According to Jesus, the way we treat one another as Christians, will either be used by God to draw others into faith or our lack of love will be used of Satan to repel people from Jesus. 

That is some powerful love!

Unpacks

And it is this very calling that the Apostle John unpacks further in his letter to the churches as can be read in the passage that follows.

11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 

13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 

(1 John 3:11-18 NIV11)

God’s Love

Again we begin with a clear statement about the tremendous love of God as shown to us in the work and person of Jesus Christ. 

In verse 16 we heard a description of God’s great love as John said, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” Jesus’ love for us is sacrificial, unwavering, and complete. He cannot demonstrate his love any further or better than through the cross and empty tomb.  

Our Love

And in the same breath, John spoke of the love that we are called by Jesus Christ to have for one another as he wrote, “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

We are called to receive the love of God and to be willing to show this love to our other brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the will of God.

So let me ask you:

  •   Do you demonstrate God’s love to other believers in Jesus in such a way that they can feel and experience this love without your words?
  •   If an unbeliever were to follow you around and hear how you speak to other Christians, or watch the way you treat other people from the family of faith, would they be able to see that you are a disciple of Jesus?
  •   Are you willing to submit your treatment of others to the authority of Jesus Christ?
  •   Will commit to praying about this calling of love throughout your day?

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN


Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.

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