What’s the test of loving one another? (John13:34–35)
John 13:31 - 35
ESV - 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
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Asked November 25 2020
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Jack Gutknecht
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Tim Maas
In the passage cited in the question, Jesus told His apostles that they were to love one another as He had loved them. By that standard, the ways in which our love for others could be judged or tested could include: Finding things to praise in other people, even when they have been negative toward us (Jesus' commendation of Nathanael for his honesty and lack of guile, despite Nathanel having expressed that honesty by asking (before he came to Jesus) whether anything good could come out of Nazareth (John 2:46-47)); Being patient with others (repeatedly, if necessary) as Jesus was with the apostles on multiple occasions when they failed to understand His parables, or when they continually argued among themselves over which one of them was the greatest, or when they lost faith in Him, rather than becoming exasperated with them or giving up on them; Correcting people without shaming them (as Jesus did with James and John in Luke 9:52-55 when they wanted to call fire down from heaven on a village that had refused entry to Jesus and the apostles); Acting with restraint when others disappoint us, even if anger would be more than justified (as Jesus did with Peter, James, and John when they fell asleep in Gethsemane after He had asked them to watch and pray); Exhibiting self-control in our actions toward others (even those who are opposed to us, and even when more extreme actions or options would be available or justified), as Jesus did when he refused to invoke His Father's help while being arrested (Matthew 26:53); Being willing to restore people to fellowship after they have broken that fellowship (as Jesus did with Peter in John 21:15-19), or they have showed a lack of faith in us (as Jesus did with Thomas in John 20:24-29).
Jack Gutknecht
What is the test of loving one another (John 13:34-35)? The answer to this is if we really crave Obedience to God! ◄ 1 John 5:2 ►Weymouth New Testament "The fact that we love God Himself, and obey His commands, is a proof that we love God's children." 1 John 5:3 says in the NIV, "This is love for God: to obey his commands." In these verses, John weaves love and obedience together inextricably. They exist mutually in a dynamic relationship i.e., the genuine proof of love is obedience, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." The word “keep” conveys the idea of constant obedience (John 8:31-32; 14:15, 21; 15:10). Love and obedience are so closely intertwined!
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