Love Your Neighbor



I know that I just wrote to you, but when I was going to bed last night I realized that I may not have made this totally clear to you, so I’m writing this one to make sure that I have been clear.

I explained that song by Steve Camp, Don’t tell them Jesus loves them till you’re ready to love them too, and I explained how it is our role to simply accept people as Jesus does and not to judge them. But, I inadvertently neglected to emphasize how important it is to simply and I mean simply love them.

The Godhead is obviously extremely familiar with love:

Rom 5:7-8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
NIV

We, as Christians, are representative of Christ Himself in this world and if Christ gave his life for us because He loved us (when we were unlovable), then we as His representatives we should be loving other people too!

To further explain my point:

Matt 22:37-40

37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself .' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
NIV

Love your neighbor as yourself. Love. That is clearly the emphasis. We are to be like Christ. He came because God loved us. And as Christians we are to be the same way.

Now, we have previously discussed how to accept people and that everyone is your neighbor, so this time I think it’s important to focus on love.

What does love mean? It obviously means stepping out of your comfort zone to benefit someone else rather than just ourselves. That is 100% contrary to what this World believes (remember who is running this World).

The Godhead clearly stepped out of it’s comfort zone when Christ came to this Earth to live as a human and be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so we, as Christians, must be willing to do the same thing.

Now what in the world do I mean when I say step out of your comfort zone?

I’m glad that you asked! Picture or imagine this (if you can), YOU are Jesus. You have done everything correctly and then it’s obvious that mankind (that you’ve helped to create) has a problem with sin and they will forever remain separate from you, so they need a solution and YOU agree to be their solution as a perfect sacrifice for them.

That means leaving your Heavenly life and Godly role and your Father to come to Earth as a human to live and grow in a human woman’s stomach and go through birth as a human, and live as a human with people that you created that will hate you and what you say or tell them, make fun of you, speak falsely of you and finally actually crucify you. YOU will experience physical and mental actual pain, anguish and hardship that you never have before…and YOU would agree to do this? I don’t think so. It’s too much to ask. But Jesus did this.

Jesus also told His followers to take up their cross and follow Him. That’s interesting and what does that mean?

Again, I’m glad that you asked! I, for one can only imagine. But, being a human, as He was and that He created who lives in a world that He created, I believe that statement means go for it and do anything that is required of you! Don’t protect yourself or worry about yourself because life goes beyond this, way beyond, and you’ll live it.

So love your neighbor! Everyone! Try and just keep trying! Forget about yourself! Someday you WILL die and when you do you WILL go to Heaven or Hell, but you WILL live on! In pain or pleasure. It’s God’s judgment but YOU GET TO CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESTINATION!

That’s what I mean by saying Get up and out of your manmade box (lifestyle). Things are way different than the World has tried to force you to believe! God is big, real and here! Eternity is real and it’s coming! If people don’t make a choice, then they’ve made a choice!

Our only REAL job, as Christians, is to save others. That’s what Jesus came to do and since we’re Christians it’s our job now. We have to take up our cross (forget yourselves) and follow Him.

It’s a narrow road. Shut-ins, handicapped people and others can no longer be excluded! They may be our cross, but the end result is well worth it! So take up your cross and follow Jesus!