John 13:34-35
Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment of loving one another. This commandment was actually existing in the Old Testament. Why then was it a new commandment? The newness lies in the degree of love. Lev 19 says we have to love one another as much as we love ourselves. But in the new commandment, the degree is even more: we must love one another AS He loved us.

Jesus is God who came in the flesh. He became poor for us that we may before rich; so that our sins can be forgiven He became sin for us. All this is Jesus’ display of love for us. Out of His love for us, Jesus Christ became the Saviour of all mankind. In the flesh, He suffered and was finally crucified for our sins. The new commandment is for us to love one another as He loved us.

Why must we love one another?

1. It fulfils the law
   Rom 13:8-10
   We all know the 10 commandments was given by god for us to observe. Though they were commandments, we must keep them not as one keeps the law in the New Testament. A person who keeps the law does so to avoid punishment. For instance in Singapore we won’t drive too fast or we’d get fined. We have to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing or we’d be fined. Many people obey these rules because they don’t want to be judged as people who have broken the law deserving of punishment.

But in the New Testament when we keep the commandments it is done out of grace and thanksgiving because Christ has become our Saviour. Not only do we have peace in this life, we’ll have eternal life in the next life. So we keep the commandments with a heart of thanksgiving. This is the fulfilment of the law. When we know how to love God and Man, we will never break the law.

1. Loving one another is a deed of faith and it is a work of salvation
   Luke 10:25-28 (read)
   Here clearly says keeping the commandments of God pertains to salvation. We have to love our neighbour as ourselves. In the parable of the separation of sheep and goat, the sheep inherit the Kingdom of God. These are people who have done good; who have given water to the thirsty; food to the hungry; clothings to the naked. Because they believe in doing this, they’re doing to the Lord. They do these good deeds because of their belief in the Lord. They have mercy and love for one another. Such people will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. For those who believe in Christ, our chief purpose is to enter heaven to be with God. Therefore we keep the commands of God and learn to love one another.
2. When we love one another, we manifest God’s love to Man
   The purpose is to draw Man to God. We can talk much of the Bible, but if we don’t know how to love one another, people won’t know our religion is really true. They may not even know who God really is; God is love. Love one another like God loves us. This is not an ordinary love because Jesus who loved us laid down His life for us. Loving one another should be to an extent of laying our lives down for one another.

1 John 4:7-12
Elder John who wrote this passage encourages us to love one another because love is of God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God. “In this the love of God was
Christ became the propitiation for our sins. To do this, He laid down His life.

So v11 “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

If we excel in this love, we’d be like Jesus Christ; being willing to lay down our lives for another. Such a love will draw people. The cross is a symbol of Christ’s love. We need to carry our cross and follow Jesus Christ. Learn to love one another.
How do we love one another as Christ loved us?

1. The most basic is to share our goods with one another
   1 John 3:16-18
   Just as God laid down His life for us, we also should do likewise for our brethren. If we see a brother in need and shut up our hearts, how can we shut up our hearts? If we truly

We live in an affluent society. Most of us have more than enough. We usually have savings. We ought to love one another with what God gives to us. In the Bible, churches in Macedonia gave more than what they had. Even though they were in affliction or poverty, they were willing to share what they had. That is loving one another.

Today we thank God we have more than enough. Yet there’re many members in the True Jesus Church who are poor and lack. Members in Myanmar, Philippines, pioneering areas in Africa perhaps. Many brethren are hungry. If we say we love one another then we must be willing to share what we have with them.

The other day some church members were counting the offerings in Telok Kurau. One of them was the speaker’s family member. He asked her how the offering was. She said, “Wonderful! Amongst the offering is a cheque of $100,000!”

In a Spiritual Meeting, 300+ members offer a total of $50,000-$60,000. This one member offered twice the amount of 300+ members.

Why is that person willing to share? Of course he first has that money. But being willing to share is a display of love. Why does he give so generously? He feels the love of Christ for him.

When the speaker went to the Philippines, a church worker was sent to an island because there was a family there. On Saturday night, he brought back 15-20 small fish (the family there owns a fish farm and gave those for him and his family). That worker had two sons, MIL, SIL. That number of fish would be just enough for them for one day. But what he did when he brought back the fish was to cut each fish into 3 parts. He went round the church families and gave it to them. The speaker was very touched. He isn’t saying the worker was perfect but it was indeed a deed of love. Having fish was a rarity at that time. They had difficulty getting milk for their babies. Sometimes they’d. The adults would go hungry until somebody gave them food. That was how they passed their days then. Yet they didn’t lack in love. The way they shared really showed the love of God in them.

This is how we manifest love along brethren; by sharing our worldly possessions to the needy.

1. Forgive our enemies
   Luke 6:27-28, 36
   Jesus talks about Christian living here. How we conduct ourselves around the people
   Love our neighbours as ourselves. Love others as God loves us. To those who hate us and spitefully use us, we shouldn’t repay evil for evil. This is Christian love. Loving one another isn’t just loving those who love us. Also love those who cannot return our love; lend to those who cannot repay us. Jesus says our reward will be great. We will be sons of the most high. Meaning to say we who are the children of God really have glory when we know how to love one another. v36 also says we must know how to show mercy.

A few months ago the speaker was walking to his Tampines house. There was a roundabout. A motorcyclist slipped. He and the pillion rider both fell to the ground. The speaker had already crossed the road. He saw two young men jump across the fence and ran. The speaker thought they were running from the police LOL
While there were many onlookers, these two were an exception. Straight away, immediately, they jumped over the fence to help. It was instantaneous. The speaker admires such people. We usually consider whether to help or not. What problem will we have if we help. Will God be angry if I don’t help? As we consider, someone else helps already. Then we say, “Thank God.”

Loving our enemies and praying is something we should do. We consider that the society is different from us; the world is secular and worldly. But in actuality the people of the world are pitiful. Many of them are lost in sin. They do not know God nor the word of God. Their hearts are empty. No wonder they sometimes go against us, because they’re alienated from God. The guiding force behind them is not good; it comes from the evil one. Such people are those who will spitefully use us and harm. What should we do? Pray for them to be saved. The least we can do is to forgive them. Peter asked if an enemy should be forgiven 7 times. But Jesus said it should be 70x7 times.

Matt 18:21-35
Jesus raised a parable which showed great contrast. A servant owed his mater
Why? We owe God many many things. Our sins are great; our transgressions are many. We beg God to forgive us. Out of His mercy, He does. Yet we can’t forgive our enemies. When people do a little bit of harm towards us, we will always take revenge. If we want God to forgive us, learn to forgive one another.

Christian love is to forgive because we are forgiven most of the time. It is inevitable in our life that we have many enemies. Some by intention: they’ll act against us and do many things to harm us. Sometimes to destroy and our family. Some enemies are not with intention: they innocent do harm to us.

Many a times we cannot forgive, but think about how God has forgiven us.

When we say we love one another, forgive as God forgive us. Lay down our life for another another as Christ did.

1. Love the soul
   This is to preach the gospel to them. Bring them to Christ. For the lost sheep, bring them back for the fold. This is our duty. Such a love is more divine. The soul is so precious. To lose one soul is like losing the world(?). We’re willing to forgo the soul of one person but we’re not willing to forgo the world. When we are willing to preach, God saves souls. Because this love needs courage, our love must really be divine. That’s why we have to pray for this love from God. Just like Jesus Christ loved the world and died for sinners. He went everywhere to preach the gospel. Today we must also have this type of love. This is the love that must grow in the True Jesus Church. Only then can we preach the gospel everywhere. From our reports from the church in China, Fuqing, workers have been sent to pastor the church. Some of them leave their homes for months. Some of them are not paid. Some are mothers and grandmothers. They leave their household chores. They go to distant places, from Fuqing to Mongolia. To go through such hardships just to trace, what about staying there to preach the goose? Living in simple conditions. Yet people go far and wide to preach the gospel. No wonder the church is growing very fast! In the 100th anniversary of the church there, 30,000 people were baptised. Their target was 20,000. The work there was a work of love that God loves.

To love one another requires love. It’s not easy to bring people to church. When truthseekers do come, we may not invite them with the gospel. Most of us will siam. “I’ve nothing to talk to the person.” They sit alone. Even though they want to remain behind after service, no one cares for them. Where is our Christian love? We need to love one another as God loves us.

What are the blessings we will receive if we love one another?

1. Being able to abide in God’s love
   John 15:9-10, 12, 17
   If we keep the commandment to love one another just as Christ loved us, then we abide in God’s love. If we want to abide in God’s love, we must keep the commandment to love one another.

We always want to abide in God’s love. We want God’s love to be added to us more and more. This we can do if we learn to love one another more and more.

1. Our prayers will be heard
   1 John 3:22-23
   Who are those who will always be heard for this prayers? Those who believe in Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. If we want our prayers to always be heard - a desire all of us have - we must know how to love one another.
2. Eternal life
   Matt 10:42
   The little bit of love we show one another is the beginning. Giving a glass of water to the least of our brethren for example. A person who can give a glass of water can do more. It’s not easy especially in this cold world. Sometimes it’s very frightening. In places where there’s church and members who gather every Saturday for Sabbath service, love is lacking. All the time we think we’re in the grace of Christ; the true church. We don’t deny this, but if we want to receive eternal life, then we must know how to keep the commandments. Do more than what we’re doing. Finally, at the end of life be able to lay down our lives for one another; laying down our lives for Christ.