LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

‘WALKING WITH THE LORD’---Commands of Christ pocket guide
“When Jesus said “follow me,” He was expressing the goal of God in all creation- God walking with man in perfect fellowship.
The purpose of all Christ’s teaching is to instruct us in how to achieve this marvelous privilege. We must delight in His Word and understand His way of thinking. We must learn His ways and do His work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each of the forty-nine commands of Christ expresses an important aspect of our walk with the Lord and our love for others.
Loving God and loving others must be the central focus of this study, because that is the sum total of all Christ’s teaching and of all the rest of the Scriptures.”

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

GENTLENESS VS. HARSHNESS
Gentleness is supporting others during their times of weakness, so that they can achieve their full potential in the Lord.
Gentleness is showing consideration and personal concern for others.

Matthew 22:39-40 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
*Loving our neighbor is one of Christ’s greatest commands

Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
*Jesus fulfilled the law by showing God’s love for mankind. We also can fulfill God’s law by reflecting His love to others.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
*We are to be humble to one another. All arguments, strivings, and misunderstandings are a result of pride, and pride is when we know we are better than the other person or we are right and they are wrong. We must be humble and patient with one another.

James 2:8-9 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
*Respect of persons is valuing one person above another, seeing one person better than the other, valuing the word of one person more than others, showing more favor for one person than another, or saying that one person is better than another. That is sin. We are to show God’s love to all.

1 John 3:17-19 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
*We are supposed to show compassion to those around us, because that is how we show the love of God: by our deeds. Our deeds show how sincere we truly are.

1 John 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
*It is God’s command to love our family. Not just brothers, not just neighbors, but all. If we are to show ‘brotherly love’ to others, then what are we to show to our real siblings and parents? How do we show our family that we love them?
And if we do not love our family (brother, sister, mom, dad) then we do not love God. We cannot just love them in word and tongue, but in deed. We are to reflect God’s light to them. Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8, John 12:36

Galatians 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
*We cannot just focus on ourselves. We are commanded to serve others around us in love. By doing that we fulfill the law: we reflect God’s light.

OBJECTIONS:
JESUS SAID TO HATE OUR FATHER AND MOTHER
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate(1) not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.’
*The word ‘hate’ here in the Greek, simply means to ‘love less’

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth(1) father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’
*Jesus clearly has said that we are not to love family more than Him. However, we are still to show God’s love to them.

*Jesus also said ‘honour father and mother’ 5 times and he said ‘hate father and mother’ 1 time. The Old Testament never says to hate our father and mother or brother and sister (in fact it condemns such actions) and we know that Jesus did not come to override the OT, but to fulfill it by His words, actions, and deeds.


THE BIBLE SAYS ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’ NOT ‘LOVE YOUR FAMILY’
Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
*All of God’s children are part of your family, and Jesus said that if we hate our brother, but say that we love God, then we are liars. 1 John 4:20, Lev. 9:17


HOW CAN WE SHOW LOVE TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY?
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
*How has Christ shown His love for us? How can we show his love to those around us?

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
*We are supposed to gather together to encourage others to love one another and do good works as we also are doing.

Matthew 5:24 …first be reconciled to thy brother…
*We need to fix our relationship status with our brothers and sisters so we can love them more fully.

Matthew 5:25 …Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him…
*Agree and come to terms with the person whom you are bickering with and settle the argument quickly so you can reflect Christ’s love to them.

Matthew 5:39-42 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
*If someone tries to provoke you, turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile with someone who is in need, and help him who asks for it. In these ways we can reflect Christ’s love to others.

Matthew 5:44-46 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
*Love, bless, pray and do good to those who use you wrongly. Then the love of God grows in you to shine out to those who use you.

EXAMINING MY HEART
Does my love for others reflect my love for God?
Who are some of those near me to whom I need to show more love?
Have I sacrificed some of my own possessions in order to give to others?
What chance meetings have I had where I could show love to a ‘neighbor’?
What areas of lack of self-acceptance have been a hindrance to loving others?
Do my actions show that I honor others above myself?

Footnotes:
(1) miseō- to love less
(2) phileō - love, kiss

All verses from KJV and Footnotes from Strong’s concordance.