⁷ Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. ⁸ Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.⁹ If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

¹² I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
¹³ I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.
¹⁴ I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Love One Another

John reminds his readers of the primal commandment of Jesus and then breaks out in a song that would have been very familiar to his readers. That commandement? Love others.

It’s an old commandment in that it has been a primary message of the Bible since Genesis. But it’s a new commandment because Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment was, summarized all the commandments in the Old Testament when he said, “Love God and love others.”

In this passage, John focuses on the loving others part.

Look, at some point we’re going to have to accept that loving others is not optional for the follower of Christ. It’s not a suggestion. It’s mandatory. Yesterday, John challenged us to prove that we love God through our actions. We are challenged to do the same when it comes to loving others. Don’t just say you love others, prove it. Demonstrate it. Show others that you love them.

For some reason, this isn’t easy for us to do. We struggle with it.

So, my challenge for you today is to make a decision to demonstrate love to at least one person.

My prayer: Lord, help me love others. Not only with my words, but with my actions. Show me ways that I can demonstrate that love. Give me creativity in fulfilling the commands of Jesus to love you and love others. Amen.

Until tomorrow.