His charge to us: we are to love one another

Jesus loves all the children of the world, and that includes you and me …  for we are all children, little and big, young and old, rich and poor, dirty and clean. God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, loved us once and loves us still. He has never stopped loving us. 

Jesus, in John 13:34-35, says a “new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

But the commandment is not new.  "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)  In the Old Testament, Leviticus 19:18, God says, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

No, the commandment is not new. It is old. It has been there from the beginning, but who has heard it, who has listened, who has obeyed? 

The Ten.
Commandments
written
in Exodus
The basics
But
There are more
much more
Specifics
some, such as
the laws of sacrifices
told of
in Leviticus 1-7.

Fulfilled, all
with
Jesus’
birth, death and resurrection

 and upon his return,
Complete. And final.

The Lord God
commands us
“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)

God calls us to, in holiness, not uncleanness, not sin.

 “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” (I Thessalonians 4:7)

But are we holy? Do we live as He … in holiness?

Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us,
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

Christ is our offering
Christ is the sacrifice
None other is needed
None other is required

Christ fulfills all
that is spoken of, foretold
in the Old Testament.

You who still wait
for The Messiah
He has come
He is here.

For those who are “sons (and daughters) of light and sons (and daughters) of the day” (I Thessalonians 5:5), “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (I Thessalonians 5:9) Live together with Him in Love and in holiness. 

You who are waiting
for His return
The Most High
He is coming again
soon
and very soon
Be watching
Be on guard
Be alert
Remember
His instructions
His Love

Do not show partiality
Do not show preference
God is not partial
There is no favoritism
with Him.
To all
He extends His love
and as the Lord Jesus instructs
See it all throughout the Scriptures …
to love one another.

“⁵Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love him? ⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; ⁹but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:5, 8-10)

One sin

tiny or big
it matters not
a sin
is a sin
is a sin
making
an individual
a sinner,
facing condemnation.

Jesus paid the price
for our sin
and his command!?
To love one another
To love your neighbor
as yourself
to live as He lives

 “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (I John 2:3-6)

 “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (I John 2:7-11)

 “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard   from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.” (I John 2:6)

“Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (I John 3:10)

Jesus loves the Little Children video

Children of the World Choir video