His Commandments Are Love

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (Jn 14:15 [NASB]). Walking in obedience to the Lord's commands is love. This statement is sandwiched between the commandment to love one another given in both chapters 13 and 15. The apostle John said, "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." (1Jn 4:20,21 [NASB]).

His commandments are Love!
1. Love your brother. (Jn 13:34, 15:12, & 15:17)
2. Love your neighbor. (Mt 22:39, Mk 12:31, & Lk 10:27)
3. Love your enemies. (Mt 5:44, Lk 6:27, & Lk 6:35)

We need always be mindful that we live in a sinful and fallen world, but have been redeemed for the Lord's glory. The world around us is living in wanton sin and we may even notice our brother sinning. So what are we to do when someone sins against us becoming our enemy? Are we to hate them? No, we are to love them! Tell them about the grace of God in Jesus Christ. What are we to do when we see our neighbor sinning, but not against us? Are we to ignore them? No, we are to love them! Tell them about the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

So then what do we do when we see our brother sinning whether that be against us or not? The Lord tells us in Matthew 18:15-17 to take these steps in order of progression without jumping ahead:
1. Show him his fault in private.
2. Go again but take one or two more with you.
3. Tell it to the church.
4. Break Fellowship with him.

Before going into this process we need to be very careful, always being mindful of who and what we are. I think that this is the reason the Lord said what He said in Matthew 7:1-5. Are we calling out our brothers sin for his sake or our own. Are we severing that relationship out of anger our out of love for our brother. I think that this is what it means to take the log out of our own eye so that we may then see clearly to take the log out of our brothers eye. Yes call out your brothers sin, if you love your brother you will do so; and yes if he remains unrepentant you must break fellowship, but always doing so with hope of repentance and love for your brother.




A salve of Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek