What do you love? Who do you love? I love prime rib steaks, apple pie, sweet corn,.... your dress, your coat,...

I Love my church, my family, my friends, my wife. I LOVE Jesus Christ.

It is unfortunate that this word LOVE loses much of its meaning and value, devalued like the dollar.

That is one reason we see that the Greek language has three words for love:

agape - Godly love

philea - friendship love

These are both used in the New Testa­ment, but there is a third not found in the New Testament, eros - sensual, erotic love.

In these verses before us today we see the OLD commandment to love God and each other. Reread verse 7 & 8. It is not new in time, but it is new in quality, fresh, new in character because of Jesus Christ. It is new in three ways.

The commandment to love one another is new in

I. Emphasis

The Old Testament command to love one another was one of many. Recall what John quoted Jesus saying in his Gospel, 13:34, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another." Jesus said that this commandment was at the top of the list. It was the great­est commandment. Jesus gave it as His law of love. He said, "The teaching of the law and the prophets depends on this." Matthew 22:37-40.

In Romans 13:8-10, Paul tells us that love is the fulfillment of God's law. To do right should not so much be a matter of law, but more a matter of love. Therefore as we fulfill our various responsibilities we might do well to ask ourselves why we do what we do. Why do we earn a living? Do we do so to take care of our needs and the needs of those who may be dependent upon us? Do we do so to make our community a better place to live?

The new emphasis may also be seen in another way. In I John 2:7 John speaks of what we had from the beginning. When we go back to the first verse of John's Gospel and John's first letter he refers to God and Christ being in the beginning. In I John 2:7 I believe he is talking about the beginning of one's Christian life. It is only when we hear the old story of God's love and place our trust in God that our new life in Christ begins. I John 4:19 tells us, "We love be­cause He first loved us." In I Thes. 4:9 we read that we are taught of God to love. If his or her commitment is genuine, the new Christian finds that he or she now hates what he or she previously loved to do and loves what he or she hated before he or she commit­ted his life to Christ. The commandment to love one another is new in emphasis. It is the greatest commandment and is found more than a dozen times in the New Testament.

The commandment to love one another is new in

II. Example

In verse 8 John tells us that this com­mand is true in Christ. In his Gospel John had recorded the words of Jesus "... love one another even as I have loved you." John 13:34.

Jesus is the greatest example of the greatest commandment. He is not asking them to do something He has not done. Jesus' life was a continuous illustration of His love. Jesus took love and raised it to a new and higher standard. New power, meaning, and obligation were brought by Christ. In some respects many people did not realize what love was until they saw it in Jesus Christ. Today people all around us are still looking for examples of love. Are we examples of Christ's love for them?

Jesus loved His twelve disciples, even though they must have disappointed him over and over again. It must have grieved Him when they argued over who was the greatest, when they were impatient and impulsive, when they slept instead of praying, when they were lacking in faith. We remember the betrayal of Judas and the unbelief of Thomas.

Jesus loved all people and all kinds of people. Tax collectors and sinners were attracted to Jesus. A sinful woman knelt at his feet. He had compassion on people, healed the sick and fed thousands. Jesus loved His enemies. John had also recorded Jesus' words, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Even as Jesus was crucified Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." He was the Supreme example.

The commandment to love one another is new in

III. Experience

Only when we come to Christ and experience His love are we able to really love as He commanded us to love. Read verses 9-11 that speak of the contrasts of light and darkness.; love and hatred.

Christians are to walk in the light, in fellowship with God, and walk in love. Non-Christians walk in darkness; lack fellowship with God and may walk in hatred. To walk in fellowship with God is also to be in fellowship with other Christians. I have heard some say their there Christianity is just between them and God. It looks to me like that is a contradiction in terms. It may be easy to say we love, but more difficult to practice. We cannot walk in the light of Christ and live in hatred with other people. In Luke 11:23 we read these words of Jesus, "He that is not with Me is against Me. Some want to sit on the fence, in the gray area.

v. 10 loves - abides

v. 11 hates - in darkness - blindness.

Hatred blinds many people and some hateful people think they are Christians. Christian love is NOT blind. It brightens the day and brings understanding.

We might consider the story of Haman in the book of Esther. Haman had intense hatred for the Jews and wanted the whole nation destroyed. He was blind to the fact that the Jews would win and he would be destroyed.

Christian love is something we experience; it is practical. John began this passage addressing us a "beloved." John was known as the Apostle of love, but that had not always been the case. Jesus had nicknamed John and his brother James "Sons of Thunder when they wanted to call down fire to destroy a village. But they had been transformed by Jesus Christ. What a change comes when one goes from darkness to light; from hatred to love.

Conclusion

What if a Christian does not love? He or she is blinded and living a lie if he or she thinks they are living in the light

Story of blind man with a flashlight. He said I carry a light so people can see me. I cannot help being blind, but I can help from being a stumbling block

Love may be steppingstones and lack of love may be stumbling blocks. Hatred also slows spiritual growth. The only atmosphere conducive to spiritual growth is the spirit of love. As corn and soybeans need sunlight. God's people need the light of love.

I John2: 8 "I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining,

The commandment to love one another is new in:

I. Emphasis A top priority

II Example of Jesus

III. Experience Is it yours"

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