The Litmus Test weblog

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

What is love?

What is the world?

What does it mean to love the world? Do you love the world?

This is an important question, as the consequences are rather serious.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

Are you an enemy of God?

Or are you His friend?

How do you know?

The Master told His twelve disciples, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.” But what was His command? “This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

So what is love? Is love a feeling?

How did He love His disciples?

The answer to this question settles the matter of whether you are a friend or an enemy of God. Do you want to know?

Friends of God

The Greek word translated love in the verses above means the direction of the will towards whomever or whatever one finds his joy in, which is inescapably revealed in how one spends his time, money, and energy.

The gospels show us exactly how Yahshua spent His time and energy. He did not take one thought for Himself. His attention was always on His disciples. He was always serving them, teaching them, encouraging them, and correcting them. It was His full-time occupation. And then He died for them.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

That is how He loved them. And that is how He commanded them to love one another. They were to lay down their lives for one another daily. It was to be their full-time occupation. It was no accident or mistake that the church began as a community, as the book of Acts records:

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. (Acts 4:32-35)

Living together in community was the only way they could practically obey their Master’s commandments, to give up everything to follow Him, and to love one another as He had loved them, and to seek first His kingdom without worrying about what they would eat or what they would wear.

How can anyone not worry about where his food and clothing will come from? Only if his brothers and sisters are taking care of his needs. In the true Body of Messiah all are continually serving one another according to each one’s particular grace and gifting, doing the works prepared for them to walk in. That is how each one practically obeys the command to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” with the result that each one has everything he needs. Someone has the grace and gifting to take care of the clothing needs for the community, while someone else makes sure there is healthy food on the table, while others work to provide an income, to maintain their dwellings, to teach the children, to shepherd the flock, etc. Every member of the Body labors on behalf of all, and none need be anxious for their own life.

That is how disciples love one another. They direct their will toward the One they love, who lives in their brothers and sisters. Only by loving and serving them can they practically love and serve Him. He lives where they live, and He honors those who serve Him where He lives — in the community of the redeemed. They are His friends, and He reveals Himself to them because they obey His commandments.

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