Love Is More Than Fulfilling The Law, It Is The Fullness of Christ

Mr. M · Aug 27, 2020

John 15:
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Love within the body of Messiah is greater than love thy neighbor. Most people miss this!
Do I have to lay down my life for my neighbor? Or simply do no harm?
Romans 13:10. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

We must know and apply what was given only to His disciples. A greater love.
A greater stewardship. A Higher standard.
Here Yeshua teaches His disciples, after washing their feet.
John 13:
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

This is what the church has overwhelmingly failed to grasp. A call for an inner circle of fellowship
where we truly follow Yeshua's example. Not at the congregation hall. In the home meeting.
A Fellowship In The Holy Spirit of Messiah.

Mr. M · Aug 27, 2020

Minister Monardo said:
John 15:
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Love within the body of Messiah is greater than love thy neighbor. Most people miss this!
Do I have to lay down my life for my neighbor? Or simply do no harm?
Romans 13:10. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Another fatal error is to fail the make the clear distinction between when Yeshua is teaching His
disciples, when He is addressing the crowds in parables, and when He is jousting with scribes and
Pharisees over matters of interpretation of Law.
Psalm 18:
26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.

You must know and apply what was given only to His disciples. A greater love.
A greater stewardship. A Higher standard.
Here Yeshua teaches His disciples, after washing their feet.
Romans 13:
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,
that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

This is what the church has overwhelmingly failed to grasp. A call for an inner circle of fellowship
where we truly follow Yeshua's example. Not at the congregation hall. In the home meeting.
A Fellowship In The Holy Spirit of Messiah.
Paul teaches love for your neighbor to fulfill the Law.
But what have we here?
Philippians 2:
If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death,
yes, the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those
under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

Mark 9:35. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,
If anyone desires to be first,
he shall be last of all, and servant of all.
This Moses did not command. He lived it, for 40 years in the wilderness.

Reading John more carefully, you will see that what Yeshua is teaching,
friend =/= neighbor. Hence He says "A new commandment".
There is a higher level of commitment to friends of God.
Those who do not obey Yeshua are not His friend, and are not your friend.
John 15:
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have
made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Mr. M · Aug 27, 2020

Minister Monardo said:
Reading John more carefully, you will see that what Yeshua is teaching,
friend =/= neighbor. Hence He says "A new commandment".
There is a higher level of commitment to friends.
Those who do not obey Yeshua are not His friend, and are not your friend.
John 15:
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have
made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Yeshua prayed for those who love Him. He did not pray for the haters of the world.
John 17:
9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from
the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Mark 9:35. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,
If anyone desires to be first,
he shall be last of all, and servant of all.
This Moses did not command. He lived it, for 40 years in the wilderness.

GospelS · Aug 27, 2020

Amen. Those who fear the Lord will have His fellowship, intimate friendship.

The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. Psalm 25:14

Mr. M · Aug 31, 2020

GospelS said:
Amen. Those who fear the Lord will have His fellowship, intimate friendship.

The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. Psalm 25:14

1 Peter 1:
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through
the word of God which lives and abides forever.

Mr. M · Sep 2, 2020

1 John 4:
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God
and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world, that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

mlepfitjw · Sep 3, 2020

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

mlepfitjw · Sep 5, 2020

Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. - 1 John 4:18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. - Colossians 3:14

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:34-35

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. - Proverbs 10:12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7

Here are some more scriptures on love.

Saint Steven · Sep 6, 2020

Minister Monardo said:
Those who do not obey Yeshua are not His friend, and are not your friend.

I loved the OP, but you lost me here. See Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34 (friend of sinners)

Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Saint Steven · Sep 6, 2020

Edit-down from scripture in post above.
And the previous scripture from the same chapter below that.

Matthew 5:46-47
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Matthew 5:38-42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Saint Steven · Sep 6, 2020

Too often in Christianity, the enemy is seen as the person who attends the church across the street from your church. And they feel the same way about you.

This is what I was hoping this topic was going to be about based on the title.

On the forum it is the person that falls on the wrong side of some doctrinal hair-splitting. That is the enemy. Sad to say.

Mr. M · Sep 6, 2020

Saint Steven said:
I loved the OP, but you lost me here. See Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34 (friend of sinners)

Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Good to hear from you Steve,
Yes, love for neighbors, even love for enemies. This fulfills the Law.
Then He addresses His disciples, "love each other, as I have loved you", as friends.
We are to share our burdens with one another. Your neighbor may not want to hear that,
may even just gossip about you. You no doubt would not trust them with intimate struggles anyway.
Our love for each other is a "greater love". You and I discussed fellowship once before. We need close friends, closer than a brother, beloved brethren in Christ.
Peter's description here is what first convicted my heart, that I was not truly yet born again.
1 Peter 1:
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which
lives and abides forever.

The Greater Love.
John 15:
11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

What I have been teaching is that there is a higher level of obedience In Christ for one another.

Mr. M · Oct 1, 2020

Yeshua prayed for those who love Him. He did not pray for the haters of the world.
John 17:
9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from
the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Mr. M · Oct 13, 2020

The Lord also prayed for us, in advance.
John 17:
20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know
that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Mr. M · Oct 13, 2020

Paul teaches love for your neighbor to fulfill the Law.
But what have we here?
Philippians 2:
If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death,
yes, the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those
under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

Mr. M · Oct 13, 2020

Saint Steven said:
Too often in Christianity, the enemy is seen as the person who attends the church across the street from your church. And they feel the same way about you.

This is what I was hoping this topic was going to be about based on the title.

On the forum it is the person that falls on the wrong side of some doctrinal hair-splitting. That is the enemy. Sad to say.

Hey Steve,
I meant to post these scriptures to better answer your concerns and spaced it. Looking through
this thread tonight made me realize the oversight.
John 15:14. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
You pointed out that Jesus is the friend of sinners, and we should love our enemies.
What I am saying here with this verse, is not everyone is His friend. If we are His friends,
we show that by our affections for the body of Christ.
John 13:35. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
The scriptures say that "love thy neighbor, love thy enemy" fulfills the Law.
The command of Christ to his disciples is to go further.

Romans 12:10. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another.

You seem like someone committed to close relations to your fellow believers and know the value
of that time beyond that spent in a pew.
As to this forum, this has been a new experience, and a shocking one.
I am trying to use the experience to be a better brother, without it making me more
cynical and harsh. More of a challenge than anticipated, so I keep sharing my daily study
time and hope I don't take any sniper fire. I really would prefer to stay off some of the more
contentious discussions, but some doctrinal teachings should be addressed for the sake of all.
The challenge is to stay in the right Spirit, should be easy online, but somehow things get heavy
at times. What I say unto one, I say unto all; Watch, and pray.

Saint Steven · Oct 14, 2020

Minister Monardo said:
John 15:14. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
You pointed out that Jesus is the friend of sinners, and we should love our enemies.
What I am saying here with this verse, is not everyone is His friend. If we are His friends,
we show that by our affections for the body of Christ.
John 13:35. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
The scriptures say that "love thy neighbor, love thy enemy" fulfills the Law.
The command of Christ to his disciples is to go further.

Romans 12:10. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another.

Thanks, MM.
It seems like the workaround for many Christians is to claim those they disagree with are not "genuine" Christians. Therefore they are not required to love them, but are rather commanded to shun them. But even if you make another Christian your enemy, we are still required to love them. Not sure how they get around that one.

Saint Steven said: ↑
Too often in Christianity, the enemy is seen as the person who attends the church across the street from your church. And they feel the same way about you.

This is what I was hoping this topic was going to be about based on the title.

On the forum it is the person that falls on the wrong side of some doctrinal hair-splitting. That is the enemy. Sad to say.

Mr. M · Oct 14, 2020

Saint Steven said:
Thanks, MM.
It seems like the workaround for many Christians is to claim those they disagree with are not "genuine" Christians. Therefore they are not required to love them, but are rather commanded to shun them. But even if you make another Christian your enemy, we are still required to love them. Not sure how they get around that one.

Philippians 3:16. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,
let us mind the same thing.
I find that on any church website they have a tab called "what we believe", and it is always essentially
the same core doctrines and creed. I believe that Paul is saying here that should be the basis to hold
our fellowship together and not allow our relationship to disintegrate into pettiness.

2 Corinthians 12:
20 For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be
found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;
21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

People must understand that from this starting point, the foundation is laid for far greater sin.
James 3:16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Not the most pleasant thoughts for me this early in the morning, but hopefully anyone who reads this
discussion will get the message that always weighs heavily, grieving the Holy Spirit.

Saint Steven · Oct 14, 2020

Minister Monardo said:
People must understand that from this starting point, the foundation is laid for far greater sin.
James 3:16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Not the most pleasant thoughts for me this early in the morning, but hopefully anyone who reads this
discussion will get the message that always weighs heavily, grieving the Holy Spirit.

The voice of the enemy, our REAL enemy, is not difficult to spot. Test the spirits.
The contrast is sharp.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1 Corinthians 14:3
But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

Love Is More Than Fulfilling The Law, It Is The Fullness of Christ

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