Read 1 John 2:8
I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and
you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already
shining.
1 John 2:8
The Greeks had two different words for new—one meant “new in
time,” and the other meant “new in quality.” We would use the first
word to describe the latest model of a car. But if we purchased a car
that was revolutionary, we would use the second word.
The commandment to love one another is not new in time, but it
is new in character. Because of Jesus Christ, the old commandment to
“love one another” (John 13:34) has taken on new meaning.
Christian love is not a shallow sentimental emotion that we
“work up” so we can get along with each other. It is a matter of the
will—an affection for and attraction to certain persons. It is a matter
of determining—of making up our mind—that we will allow God’s
love to reach others through us and then of acting toward them in
loving ways. We are not to act “as if we loved them,” but because we
love them. This is not hypocrisy—it is obedience to God.
Perhaps the best explanation of Christian love is 1 Corinthians 13.
The Christian life without love is nothing.
Something to Ponder
Have you recently experienced love you would consider “new in quality” or “fresh”? How would you describe it to a friend?