A New Commandment

As I have loved you … love one another. (John 13:34)

Not long after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus said to them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Though God had always commanded His people to love one another, Jesus set a new standard. He sacrificed His life for the eternal good of others.

Fulfilling the new commandment means we willingly surrender our lives for other Christians. We build one another up rather than tearing one another down. We give up meat if eating meat causes our brother to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13). We give our time and money to those who have need. In minor issues of faith and practice, we yield our opinions for the sake of peace. We lay our lives down.

When we love other Christians the way that Christ loved us, we prove to the world that we are in fact His disciples (John 13:35). By this we follow in His footsteps. By this we prove to believe the message we preach. If we want people to believe Jesus Christ came from God as the Savior of the world, then we must sacrificially love one another as He has loved us.