His Command is to Love

By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of Debby Hudson

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.” ~John 15:10a 

So many of us are probably familiar with this verse. But how many of us actually pay attention to context here to actually know what commands He is referring to? Do we actually know what command He is talking about?

He is talking about the command to love others.

That’s a huge statement, isn’t it?

But it’s true!

In verse 12 of that very same chapter, Jesus clues us in on what He’s saying. “THIS is my command: love one another as I have loved you.”

In case we aren’t getting it, He repeats Himself again in verse 17: “This is what I command you: LOVE one another.”

There it is, friends: if we want to remain in Christ’s love, He is telling us that we are to keep His command to love others.

Were you expecting that the commands we are to keep would be a long list of other things? Yeah, me, too. But those aren’t the commands He is referring to in this particular passage. He’s talking about His command for us to love our neighbor, a command which is referred to as being the greatest commandment (alongside loving God!).

This makes me think of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13, where he makes the audacious statement that love is greater and more important even than faith, hope, right belief, etc. Of course doctrine and truth are incredibly important (we can’t be saved apart from right belief!). But on their own they are not enough. You MUST be loving your neighbor as yourself.

This, friends, is precisely why I find it so grievous when I see professing believers increasing in their snark, their sarcasm, their nitpicking, their derisive debates, and their disrespect of their fellow image bearers. Because, yes, it’s great if you have right belief. But you are nothing but a clanging cymbal if you are without true love for your neighbor.