God's People are United by Love

(John 13:34-35) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. -35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (Psa 133) A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! -2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; -3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

Our subject this morning is "God's people are united by love". We have in our text the instructions of our Lord, that we love one another as he loved us. He further stated that this kind of love would be the mark of distinction that shows all men that we are indeed His disciples. David's Psalm attempts to describe the beauty and blessedness of brethren dwelling together in unity. This is so wonderful that it defies description. It is also so wonderful that it cannot be feigned. The only way you can have this kind of love is by being a disciple of Jesus Christ from your heart. The love of God is a very powerful force. It draws the people of God together and no earthly force can separate the relationship as long as each retains a right relationship with God. It is not possible to exercise the tolerance, kindness, forgiveness, and commitment to each other without Christ dwelling within you.

It is this lack of the love of God within people that prevents them from being the tolerant, kind, forgiving, committed Christians that they know they should be. If you find that you are coming up short on God's love, then today is the day for you to take action to be filled to overflowing with the love of God. You may be an outstanding person in many respects, but without the love of God being supreme in your life, you are nothing in the Kingdom of God. (1 Cor 13:1-3) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. -2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. -3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

I have known a lot of people professing to be Christians that are described by this passage of scripture. They are good people. They live moral, honest, upright lives. And yet they are so intolerant of their fellow Christians that they can barely bring themselves to speak to them. Now we clearly see from the scripture that all other knowledge and abilities are indeed worthless without the love of God. If only you can understand the depth of this concept, it will change your entire life. This is the very basis for a happy, peaceful, contented life. It is not possible to be a true disciple of Jesus any other way. Jesus commands us to love one another as He loves us. How does Jesus love us?

Or maybe we should ask, Why does Jesus love us? Now we know that God loves every one in the sense that Jesus died on the cross so that all mankind would have the opportunity to repent and be saved from their sin. The reason for this kind of love is understood that God created man and wanted man to have this chance to be redeemed from sin so that he could enjoy the relationship of being a child of God. And so God fulfilled that obligation in spite of the fact that mankind in general rejected the Saviour and crucified him. Still that love of God fulfilled salvation's plan and set before all mankind the door of opportunity to be saved. So if you are a sinner this morning, you have opportunity to come to your father - God and be forgiven and welcomed into His family as a child of God. It is because of God's love that this door is set before you and remains before you even though you may reject salvation again and again. God's love is long-suffering and He keeps the door available to you until you exhaust His patience and then His judgment falls upon you. (Heb 10:30-31) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. -31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It is our hope and prayer that you will not wait even one more day, but that you will come to God today repenting, confessing, and forsaking your sin. He will forgive you and welcome you into His family because He loves you.

Now when you are a part of God's family you have received His great love and forgiveness for your past sin. And now God expects you to learn to exercise that same kind of love to others. In fact Jesus tells us in our text that He commands us to love one another. Do you find it strange that Jesus would spend his last hours on earth with his disciples emphasizing this concept? There must have been a good reason. Yes, since this great love of God is the glue that holds all Christians together in unity, we should expect that Satan is going to do his very best to destroy it. And as we consider the intolerance, splits, and hatred demonstrated by many who call themselves Christians down through history and in current times, we can easily see that Satan is on the job and being rather successful. There has been so much hatred, intolerance, and fighting among those that call themselves Christians, that it is easy for you to think that there are no real Christians that love one another as Jesus instructed them to.

Praise God! There are and have been millions of real Christians down through the ages of time that have learned to allow the love of God to so saturate them that they have indeed loved one another as Jesus commanded them. Praise God! There are plenty of real Christians today that do in fact love one another just as Jesus commanded them. They are enjoying the peace, and joy of our Lord and the company of each other. If you are missing this blessing today, then you are missing the greatest blessing of being a Christian. In fact, I ask you to ask yourself - am I really a Christian? Wow! I know that is a hard call and I am not judging you. That is God's job and I have no intention of trying to do it for Him. What I am trying to get you to do is to examine yourself to see if you are in the love of God or if by chance Satan has sidetracked you into hatred, intolerance, strife, slander, and such things.

Jesus knew that all people are different and that for them to get along, they would have to make a conscience commitment to do so. Therefore, He commanded them to love one another. Just because they had followed Him for some three years, hearing His preaching, and seeing the miracles, this did not remove from them their different likes, dislikes, and personalities. In order for them to work together and demonstrate God's love they would need to be reminded to love one another with a committed and lasting love. All through the Bible you can find this theme and again and again the scripture teaches you that this is the supreme mark of distinction of a Christian.

John in his epistles emphasized our need of being marked with the love of God: (1 John 4:7-21) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. -8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (Here John is saying that if you have lost or have never attained the love of God, then you are not a Christian; in fact he says that you do not even know God. Too many people in our time only know of God. They do not really know God as a father, a friend, a Saviour, a Lord; how about you? -9. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. -10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. -11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Notice the admonition ".. we ought also to love one another.." Ought: duty bound, commanded, expected, responsible to do so. -12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. -13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. -14. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. -15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. -16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. -17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. -18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. -19. We love him, because he first loved us. -20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? If a man say, I love God: it is one thing to say that you love God and it is another thing to actually love God. Here John is giving you a way to test your love for God. He is telling you to compare it with your love for the brethren, the people of God. -21. And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

OK so you recognize that your love for God and God's family is weak; how do you change it? To start with repent - confess, and ask God's forgiveness. (Rev 2:4-5) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. -5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. This is God's instructions to those that are weak in their love. Repent and do the first works. There have been a lot of theories about what the writer meant by the first works and I will try to make it as simple as possible for you. The first works of a Christian are the basics - forgiveness, restitution (the making right wrongs that you have committed), prayer life, Bible study, Church attendance, etc.

If you want your love to be fervent as God desires, then you need to set your affections in the right manner and on the right things. (Col 3:1-2) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. -2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Notice that the writer said for you to set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth. Do you realize that you have control over your affections? I know that our culture has this notion of love that seems to fall on us indiscriminately for no apparent reason and with no control on our part. Well the Bible says set your affections. Yes, God knows that you are in control of your affections. You are the one that decides who and what you will love. You do it through the attitudes of your mind. You decide that you like something and so you set your affection on it and learn to love it. You can do the same thing with the things of God - the things above. The things above the things of earth meaning that they have a higher meaning to us.

Seek those things which are above - the things that make life worth living - the things that bring peace, righteousness, and joy to your heart. Jesus said (Mat 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. These are the basics of following the instructions of our Lord. If you will seek first the kingdom of God which is a kingdom of peace, righteousness, and joy in the holy ghost, you will find the love of God. Once you have found the love of God, do not lose it, treasure it, protect it, develop it and enjoy it.

Here is a message to a congregation that left the love of God. Even though they were very good in many respects, they were out of fellowship with God and their fellow-man: (Rev 2:1-17) Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; -2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: -3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. -4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. -5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. -6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. -7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. -8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; -9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. -10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. -11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

The love of God is marvelous. We not only love God but we love each other, the great family of God. Love, truly is a powerful force. This love draws the saints together and no earthly force can separate the relationship as long as each retains a right relationship with God. God not only teaches us in the word, but He has given us specific examples to show us that He has been with His people through the years and has wrought great things through His love and power, and He is still the same today.