Behold How the Love One Another
Scripture: John 13:35Devotional Series: The Spirit of Truth
Teaching: The Spirit Of Truth pt. 4 (SUN_AM 2021-09-19) by Pastor Star R Scott
As our testimonies go out, we are epistles read of men, “I once was blind, but now I see,” praise God! So, the Lord wanting to work this grace in us to cause that uniqueness, that holiness: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” This fruit of the Spirit is foreign to the world that we live in. It is dog eat dog. Oh, you might find people who have a pseudo morality, but it won’t carry them to the end. Every one of them, the Scripture says—I don’t care what kind of life they demonstrate—every one of them that are unredeemed are haters of God and count His Word as foolishness, and ultimately, it will be revealed who is the true lord of their lives, and that’s self.
So, we’re talking about this fruit and how necessary it is to manifest in our lives for two reasons: One, so men can look upon us and see this uniqueness, this miracle of the church. This miracle of unity. Unified people, people who used to be rebels. People who used to be individuals. People who used to be self-willed. People who were lovers of self, now love beyond themselves and love their neighbors as they love themselves, praise God. It’s a miracle, it’s unheard of in all of creation.
And Jesus said it. He said they will look on you, “Behold how they love one another.” “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, when you have love one for another” (John 13:35). Let me tell you something: as we’re going down the stretch, Satan is coming to take away our love. Satan is coming to exalt you. Satan is coming to promote your independence. Satan is coming to remove from you and snatch away your glory as a separated one to Him. And it will manifest itself in many, many, different ways. They feared God and worshipped their idols. An exclusiveness, that spirit of idolatry that reigns in the world today. This love of self. This love of any other object, whatever it might be—the love of money, the love of fame, the love and emotions, the attachments with other people. These things become idols so often. How many of us today recognize God as the source of all that we have? And I’ll reference our children; how would you handle the Abraham experience today? Are you ready for God to come and put His hand on one of your children? Are you ready to offer them up at the voice of the Lord? What do you tell them when your child asks, “Dad, where is the sacrifice?” That passion for the glory of God! That man Abraham admonished, “Walk before me and be perfect.”
So, as the world looks and they begin to see that love that we have for one another, that love for each and every one of us to count equal our brothers and sisters because they have the same value as we do, purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. Why do I pray and ask God for humility and grace to be a servant to all? Because that is how I’ve been loved. That is the mercy that was shown me. Beloved, we ought to love one another.
So, as we battle through this as we are coming down the stretch in these last days, Satan is coming to oppose that. And all it takes, all it takes to bring disharmony into this fellowship, you read it over and over in the Old Testament. As idols were brought into the House of God, into the covenant people of God, the Spirit of God withdrew from them, and their enemies overcame them. And pronouncements against their children were made by the Lord Himself. Read Deuteronomy 28 and see. What do we do? As we go on, how do I achieve this? We know that it’s by humbly accepting the grace of God through His Word. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
You do not love God, you have not heard the Word of God, if you’re not doing the Word of God. And if you hear the Word and don’t do it, you’re self-deceived. The only hope of a self-deceived person is to have brothers and sisters come up to them in the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit and bring them illumination. Tell them the truth. “Stop lying to one another,” is the admonition. What do you think that lying is? What is the admonition that is taking place here? Why does someone lie? To get an advantage, to escape momentary punishment or awkwardness. It’s all about self-deliverance. Our hypocrisy is lies. For us to embrace one another and not bring enlightenment and reproof because we are “loving” them is a lie. We’re admonished to love one another with an unfeigned love; amen?
So, we’re talking about this fruit and how necessary it is to manifest in our lives for two reasons: One, so men can look upon us and see this uniqueness, this miracle of the church. This miracle of unity. Unified people, people who used to be rebels. People who used to be individuals. People who used to be self-willed. People who were lovers of self, now love beyond themselves and love their neighbors as they love themselves, praise God. It’s a miracle, it’s unheard of in all of creation.
And Jesus said it. He said they will look on you, “Behold how they love one another.” “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, when you have love one for another” (John 13:35). Let me tell you something: as we’re going down the stretch, Satan is coming to take away our love. Satan is coming to exalt you. Satan is coming to promote your independence. Satan is coming to remove from you and snatch away your glory as a separated one to Him. And it will manifest itself in many, many, different ways. They feared God and worshipped their idols. An exclusiveness, that spirit of idolatry that reigns in the world today. This love of self. This love of any other object, whatever it might be—the love of money, the love of fame, the love and emotions, the attachments with other people. These things become idols so often. How many of us today recognize God as the source of all that we have? And I’ll reference our children; how would you handle the Abraham experience today? Are you ready for God to come and put His hand on one of your children? Are you ready to offer them up at the voice of the Lord? What do you tell them when your child asks, “Dad, where is the sacrifice?” That passion for the glory of God! That man Abraham admonished, “Walk before me and be perfect.”
So, as the world looks and they begin to see that love that we have for one another, that love for each and every one of us to count equal our brothers and sisters because they have the same value as we do, purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. Why do I pray and ask God for humility and grace to be a servant to all? Because that is how I’ve been loved. That is the mercy that was shown me. Beloved, we ought to love one another.
So, as we battle through this as we are coming down the stretch in these last days, Satan is coming to oppose that. And all it takes, all it takes to bring disharmony into this fellowship, you read it over and over in the Old Testament. As idols were brought into the House of God, into the covenant people of God, the Spirit of God withdrew from them, and their enemies overcame them. And pronouncements against their children were made by the Lord Himself. Read Deuteronomy 28 and see. What do we do? As we go on, how do I achieve this? We know that it’s by humbly accepting the grace of God through His Word. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
You do not love God, you have not heard the Word of God, if you’re not doing the Word of God. And if you hear the Word and don’t do it, you’re self-deceived. The only hope of a self-deceived person is to have brothers and sisters come up to them in the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit and bring them illumination. Tell them the truth. “Stop lying to one another,” is the admonition. What do you think that lying is? What is the admonition that is taking place here? Why does someone lie? To get an advantage, to escape momentary punishment or awkwardness. It’s all about self-deliverance. Our hypocrisy is lies. For us to embrace one another and not bring enlightenment and reproof because we are “loving” them is a lie. We’re admonished to love one another with an unfeigned love; amen?