Durruck
Pirate!
Not By The Rules We Keep
By Jon Walker
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT)
The whole world is watching how we love one another.
Jesus gave the world the right to judge the authenticity of our faith by how much we love other believers. We prove our faith in Christ, not by the rules we keep, but by the love we give.
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Love me,” as proof of our discipleship. He said, “Love one another, and that will show the world you belong to me.” Our love for one another is a tangible reflection of God’s love, allowing the world to witness the power of transformed lives.
Before we ever engage our neighbors about the truth of Christ, we already are telling them about God’s love by the way we love each other. Until the world sees the love of God modeled in Christian community, they’re going to have trouble believing it could ever exist. When we care as Christ for one another, we show the world a love so authentic and contagious that they can’t help but be attracted to it.
The world is desperate for love and a sense of community, and we’re meant to be the salt (Matthew 5:13) that increases their thirst for the living water (John 4:10). “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38 NIV)
So what?
· Community requires unity – Our love for one another shows the world our unity with the Father, and also shows them that community requires unity, a oneness about the purposes of life. Jesus said, “I want all [my disciples] to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.” (John 17:21 CEV)
· Use words, if necessary – We make a statement about God by the way we love one another. It may be a positive statement or it may be a negative one, but the fact is that people often form their opinions of God based upon our individual reputation: “You may be the only picture of Jesus people will ever see.” Or they may form their opinion of God based upon the reputation of our congregations – how we get along, how we support each other, how we criticize, how we love one another.
· Shining lights – We’re to let our “light shine so that others will see the good” and praise our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) My friend, are you known for what you are against, more than what you are for? Our lives need to broadcast the Good News of a love so “wide and long and high and deep” that it encompasses more than any of us could ever imagine. (Ephesians 3:18 NIV)
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.
By Jon Walker
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT)
The whole world is watching how we love one another.
Jesus gave the world the right to judge the authenticity of our faith by how much we love other believers. We prove our faith in Christ, not by the rules we keep, but by the love we give.
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Love me,” as proof of our discipleship. He said, “Love one another, and that will show the world you belong to me.” Our love for one another is a tangible reflection of God’s love, allowing the world to witness the power of transformed lives.
Before we ever engage our neighbors about the truth of Christ, we already are telling them about God’s love by the way we love each other. Until the world sees the love of God modeled in Christian community, they’re going to have trouble believing it could ever exist. When we care as Christ for one another, we show the world a love so authentic and contagious that they can’t help but be attracted to it.
The world is desperate for love and a sense of community, and we’re meant to be the salt (Matthew 5:13) that increases their thirst for the living water (John 4:10). “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38 NIV)
So what?
· Community requires unity – Our love for one another shows the world our unity with the Father, and also shows them that community requires unity, a oneness about the purposes of life. Jesus said, “I want all [my disciples] to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. I also want them to be one with us. Then the people of this world will believe that you sent me.” (John 17:21 CEV)
· Use words, if necessary – We make a statement about God by the way we love one another. It may be a positive statement or it may be a negative one, but the fact is that people often form their opinions of God based upon our individual reputation: “You may be the only picture of Jesus people will ever see.” Or they may form their opinion of God based upon the reputation of our congregations – how we get along, how we support each other, how we criticize, how we love one another.
· Shining lights – We’re to let our “light shine so that others will see the good” and praise our Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) My friend, are you known for what you are against, more than what you are for? Our lives need to broadcast the Good News of a love so “wide and long and high and deep” that it encompasses more than any of us could ever imagine. (Ephesians 3:18 NIV)
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.