Thursday, February 25 – Day 9

Seeking His Life to Revive the Church
Seek God....for His people to love and obey Him

Jesus wanted His followers to love one another yet He understood how difficult that would be in a world so devoid of love. Still, He went beyond simply asking His followers to show love to one another, He commanded them to demonstrate that love to the world and thereby show others how that aspect of heaven could exist right here on earth.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." This passage from John 13:34-35 describes the mark which Christ places on anyone who would follow Him and his teaching. The "mark" (sacrificial love) is how Christians are to be identified - how they are to be known around the world.

Recent research suggests that many Christians today do no better at brotherly love (let alone sacrificial love) than non-Christians. That's a very sad piece of information. Agape love (sacrificial love) is the single greatest apologetic. It is the only tool an evangelist needs. Anyone following Christ's "new commandment" doesn't even need a spoken language to spread the gospel. Words, explanations, rationales, justifications and other arguments are nothing in comparison to brotherly love.

Christ knew all that. He understood clearly that when His followers lived lives of sacrificial agape love, others would see it, want it and flock to Christ to get it. Human beings are born with a deep desire to be accepted - to fit somewhere, somehow into a group of people. That force is very powerful. Some individuals find that acceptance in some very bad, even deadly relationships. Others find love and acceptance through simple kindnesses of Christ's followers.

If we Christians intentionally practice loving one another as Christ loves us, there would be little need for revivals or evangelists or apologists. There would be fewer pagans to evangelize, fewer dying Christians to revive and fewer agnostics to argue with.

All Christians, to be worth their salt and light, must follow that "new commandment". I've got a long way to go, but I'm working on it, are you?

Sam Dronebarger
Associate Pastor
Noelridge Park Church