The Relationship between God and Man: - A Lesson of Love

I guess if you were to ask someone where the “love” chapter in the Bible is, they would say, “It’s the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Of course, that is a great chapter, but is only one of the chapters that deal with this subject. After all, you would never have 1 Corinthians 13 if you didn’t have John 13. It’s there that Jesus shows his disciples what love is by washing their feet and then issuing them the new command, to love one another as I have loved you. Jesus, the very fullness of deity, perfectly demonstrated God to man. Sometimes we forget that, that when we see Jesus, we are seeing God. And the will and characteristics of God is what Jesus lived in his life here on earth.

I heard a sermon recently about humility. It was a lesson that helped us understand that humility doesn’t mean weak or bashful. Sometimes, we put those labels on the humble or expect those characteristics to be part of our Christian nature. But the humble Jesus was not weak and spoke out as a leader and teacher against sin and the arrogance of those who thought they knew God.

In fact, humility is one of the greatest characteristics of God. And this characteristic was perfectly demonstrated by Jesus. Humility is making others greater than yourself. This is the heart of the gospel. God, spurned by man in the garden, set out to show man this characteristic of humility. God, sacrificing His only son, redeemed sinful man back to himself, by giving up His only son. It wasn’t man that made this relationship possible again, it was God. He loves us more than he loves Himself. The act of redemption is perfectly reflective of God’s own humble nature. Jesus, demonstrated this characteristic throughout his life and made the specific point to example it to his disciples as he was approaching the ultimate sacrifice. And the new command, to love one another as he loves us, is the perfect way for us to look like Jesus to the world. He even said the world will know that we are his disciples by the way we love others.

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. "


Jesus wants us to put on this characteristic so that we can perfectly reflect God. During his sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, Jesus describes what the characteristics of humility look like. It always puts others first. Saying, “Be perfect, therefore, as your Father is perfect” is the culmination of our understanding that this very characteristic will turn you into one who looks like God, also. And this is the greatest way to glorify God. Glorifying God by humility, the way you treat others better than yourself, is the highest form of glorification that you can do. It shows that you have accepted grace, taken your faith seriously and allowed the spirit of God living in you to declare God to the world.

Phil. 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
Phil. 2:2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.


Don Campbell

The Greatest Commandment

When one of the Pharisees, an expert in the law, wanted to test Jesus’ knowledge of the scriptures, he asked him this question and received this answer:

Matt. 22:36 - 40 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. "

Jesus’ answer was not just a pat rendition of scripture but was a concise compilation of the meaning of all the commands of God. I’m sure the people were totally amazed at the way Jesus could simplify the myriad commands that they lived with into this simple statement of truth. Jesus could do this because he was God. He was the “commander” of all that they knew. He was the “word” that had been present from the beginning. He KNEW what God required of His created man.

Deut. 6 and Lev. 19 help us remember the historical origin of these commands.

Deut. 6:5 - 9 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


Lev. 19:11 - 18 " 'Do not steal. "' Do not lie. " 'Do not deceive one another. " 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. "' Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD. " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "' Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD. " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

We must understand that these two concepts are really one in Jesus’ mind. He says the second one is “like” the first. Jesus points out in John 13 -15 the importance of the relationship between these commands and in so doing leaves out the first command.

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. "

Loving one another becomes the test of who we are. Loving one another is how God knows that we love Him. Loving one another is the will and command of God.

John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.

John, remembering the link that Jesus had made, reiterates the thought in 1 John.


1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Paul, a recipient of God’s love just like us, instructs Christians to remember the “debt to love one another.” God’s will for man, His commands, are all summed up in “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Christians, free from the law of the Old Covenant, must be obedient to our saviors call and do the will of God if we are to please him.


Rom. 13:8-10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.


And so, how do we love God? How do we show our love for God? Do we reflect the “will of God” in our lives? Do we reflect Jesus’ command to love each other or do we try to show our love for God in some other way without loving each other? Well, you can’t. The “Commander” has spoken. Will you listen to his “Greatest Commandment?”



Don Campbell