Heart & Soul - -To Love My Neighbor

 

Mark 12:31

"The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is not another commandment greater than these."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4139

Neighbor: near, nearby

From the Greek word 'plésion' (pronounced play-see'-on): friend, any other person irrespective of race or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

    When a question that is asked every time this commandment is brought up, it is good to have the correct answer. And Jesus gave it in Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan).

One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side.
But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
“The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

    Who is my neighbor? You. You are my neighbor. You are just as much my neighbor as the person living next door to me, just as much as the person(s) living with me. Anyone other than myself is my neighbor. 

HOW DO I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR?

    It's rather simple, really. The first five commandments tell us how to love God, the second five, how to love each other. Unless we do the first five, the second five will be impossible. Yes, we can still be nice to each other, even tolerant, to a degree, of each other. But unless we love God first, we cannot love our neighbor as ourselves, nor can we love each other the way God loves us. 

    God loves us and love comes from God. 1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."

    God loves us because God IS love. 1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

    God extended His love towards mankind through the person of Jesus Christ, His Word Whom He wrapped in flesh and sent to die in our place, that the ones who believe this might have eternal life and live with God forever. John 13:34 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another."

    An all-encompassing Love which covers all faults, all sins, all transgressions, all iniquities, all wrong-doings is how God loves us and how we are to love each other. Matthew 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you."

To love my neighbor is to forgive my neighbor. 

 Matthew 6:12.

   To love my neighbor is to show mercy to my neighbor.

 Matthew 18:33.

    To love my neighbor is to not carry a grudge against my neighbor, nor to take vengeance against my neighbor. 

  Leviticus 19:18.

To love my neighbor is to tell them the truth and not lie.

   Ephesians 4:25

To love my neighbor is to forgive immediately after being angry at them.

  Ephesians 4:26-27

To love my neighbor is live with honor and not take what is not mine.

  Ephesians 4:28

To love my neighbor is to edify my neighbor, building them up and not tearing them down.

   Ephesians 4:29

To love my neighbor is to not grieve the Holy Spirit.

  Ephesians 4:30

    To love my neighbor is to be kind and tenderhearted to one another. 

   Ephesians 4:31-32.

AS MYSELF

    How do we love ourselves? Not everyone loves their self. We are always trying to change what we do not like about ourselves. Ultimately, we can only change so much of what we do not like. We need God to change us on the inside, in our hearts. Will be content with ourselves right away? Probably not. While some changes appear instant, the point of fact is that even the smallest change requires time.

    The selfies we are so prone to taking only show the external changes in our faces and bodies. What if we took a selfie of our hearts? Do you think that would be just as wonderful to look at? It would if God's reflection showed in it. 

    Some of us find it hard to forgive ourselves when we've done something wrong, when we've sinned. I tell you, don't let the devil bring you down to his level. God has promised to forgive you when you admit to Him that you've sinned against Him. We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ in whom we believe. 

    God forgives us. We forgive ourselves. We forgive each other. 

God loves us. We love ourselves. We love each other. This love is evident in how we behave towards each other; the words we choose to use to one another; the attitudes (how we think) we have towards others. All of this is an expression of love towards God, an obedience to His command to "Love One Another".

LOVING MY NEIGHBOR 

Jesus At The Center

Jesus Got Ahold of My Life

Loving God, Loving Each Other

Break Every Chain

We Will Stand

1 Corinthians 13 -- Descriptive Love

 

Agape Love Described

1 Corinthians 13:1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Nothing Without Love

1 CORINTHIANS 13:2

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Matthew 7:21-22

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

Love Profits Me

1 CORINTHIANS 13:3

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

Matthew 6:2

So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.

Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4

Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up.

Don't Gossip, That's Not Love

Proverbs 17:9

Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.

Forgiveness Is Love

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Clothed In Love

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Love Behaves Itself

1 CORINTHIANS 13:5

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil;

1 Corinthians 10:24

No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Romans 15:1-2

We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Love Shares The Joy of God's Grace

1 CORINTHIANS 13:6

Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

Here, the word REJOICE, is from the Greek word sugchairó (pronounced soong-khah'-ee-ro), which means: together sharing or experiencing God's grace.

Knowing this, we see that it is quite impossible for those who rejoice in God's grace simply cannot rejoice in iniquity. For we know that iniquity is unrighteousness, a violation of God's justice.

They who take joy in evil cannot be joyful in grace.

Love Suffers Long

1 CORINTHIANS 13:7

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We Are Called to Suffer 

1 Peter 2:21

For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps.

Longsuffering Is A Fruit of The Spirit 

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

Longsuffering also means 'Patience'. Not patience in the way we would think, putting limits on how long our patience should last, but the patience of God, a direct result of divine Love. It is God living in us and working in us, on us and through us that produces the Fruit of Longsuffering.

Love Never Fails

1 CORINTHIANS 13:8

Charity never fails but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Faith Works Through Love

Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

LOVE TRUSTS GOD

1 CORINTHIANS 13:9

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1 Corinthians 8:2

The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

I, admittedly, do not know everything I want to know or think I need to know about being a good Christian. But I do know enough to know that I need to be more rooted and grounded in the Word of God, that I need a Savior and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God.

I do know that righteous living profits me not only in eternity but as I live my life now according to the Word of God; not just to the best of my ability but also in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

I know that much. When I need to know more, the Spirit will inform me. Until then I'll "Only Trust Him" as the song says. 

Love Awaits Perfecting

1 CORINTHIANS 13:10

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which in in part shall be done away.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.

Philippians 3:12

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Love Matures

1 CORINTHIANS 13:11

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

In his or her lifetime, the born again believer, regardless of chronological age, is nevertheless viewed by God as His child.

And just like little children, we speak in the language of childhood, we understand very little of perfect Christian maturity and we think like little children. We may be mature in the Word but until the Word matures in us, we are still little children.

When the Word fully matures in us, childhood of this life will dissipate and we will be changed.

Are you ready?

Love Makes Me Known To God

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1 Corinthians 8:3

But the one who loves God is known by God.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Looking at God through our physical eyes, and even our less than perfect spiritual eyes, is like looking in a tinted mirror or dirt-grimed window: not seeing clearly. 

But someday when we are in His eternal presence in His heavenly realm, we will see Him in all His glory and perfection. 

Someday we will see His just as clearly and plainly as He sees us.

Love Greater Than Faith, Hope

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Do All Things In Love

1 Corinthians 16:13, 14

Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong. Do everything in love.

Love Is Sincere

Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.

Love Is Pure

The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith. 

Love Is Generous

1 John 3:15-17

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.  By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

Love Is Kind & Forgiving

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.

Love Covers Us

Colossians 3:12

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.