John 13:34 NKJV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Jesus gave us this commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. This fits so well with the topic of marriage. In the bible study called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas we looked at Luke 6:41-42 NKJV and discussed how God uses our spouse as a mirror to help us see what areas in our life need some improving.
I wanted to expand on that thought. In Luke 6, we saw we are not supposed to point out the speck in someone elses eye until after weve dealt with the plank in our own eye. Consider what it might be like to have someone constantly pointing out your flaws, when you can plainly see they have their own flaws they should be concentrating on. Do you suppose the criticized person would feel loved? I highly doubt it.
When Jesus told us to love one another, he didnt say love one another by any old standard or means. He specifically said love one another as I have loved you. Thats a whole different kind of love, isnt. Jesus love for us caused Him to physically give up His life to pay for our sins. By His sacrifice, we are pardoned and given eternal life. He laid down everything associated with His flesh that He would carry out Gods grace and extend forgiveness to those who didnt deserve it. Did He ask us if we wanted Him do that for us? No, but out of love, He choose to do it. Think about the ramifications in our marriage, if we choose to lay down our flesh, share Gods grace and dispense forgiveness to our spouse, who may not deserve it.
Taking Jesus words to heart and applying them in our life may, in one sense, mean instead of focusing on our spouses weakness we consider our own weaknesses and remember the grace and forgiveness God has already given us. This should compel us to extend the same grace and forgiveness towards our spouse.
Lord, thank you for your awesome love! Thank you for your Words of Life! Keep us coming back for more, learning and growing in You.. Help us lay down our life, as Jesus did, for the sake of loving others as You loved us. In Jesus name Amen.
Jesus gave us this commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. This fits so well with the topic of marriage. In the bible study called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas we looked at Luke 6:41-42 NKJV and discussed how God uses our spouse as a mirror to help us see what areas in our life need some improving.
I wanted to expand on that thought. In Luke 6, we saw we are not supposed to point out the speck in someone elses eye until after weve dealt with the plank in our own eye. Consider what it might be like to have someone constantly pointing out your flaws, when you can plainly see they have their own flaws they should be concentrating on. Do you suppose the criticized person would feel loved? I highly doubt it.
When Jesus told us to love one another, he didnt say love one another by any old standard or means. He specifically said love one another as I have loved you. Thats a whole different kind of love, isnt. Jesus love for us caused Him to physically give up His life to pay for our sins. By His sacrifice, we are pardoned and given eternal life. He laid down everything associated with His flesh that He would carry out Gods grace and extend forgiveness to those who didnt deserve it. Did He ask us if we wanted Him do that for us? No, but out of love, He choose to do it. Think about the ramifications in our marriage, if we choose to lay down our flesh, share Gods grace and dispense forgiveness to our spouse, who may not deserve it.
Taking Jesus words to heart and applying them in our life may, in one sense, mean instead of focusing on our spouses weakness we consider our own weaknesses and remember the grace and forgiveness God has already given us. This should compel us to extend the same grace and forgiveness towards our spouse.
Lord, thank you for your awesome love! Thank you for your Words of Life! Keep us coming back for more, learning and growing in You.. Help us lay down our life, as Jesus did, for the sake of loving others as You loved us. In Jesus name Amen.
