LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

Sharing Christ with the Lost

Jesus said, “All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37 39)

All Christians will agree we must “love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” but “loving your neighbor as yourself” has become the subject of much debate surrounding its meaning. Jesus expands the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” to include “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44), “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28).

What exactly does this mean, and how do I love my neighbor?

It is important to understand love (Gr. agape) for your neighbor (humanity) is not a warm, fuzzy feeling of attraction or desire to share companionship or fellowship with them. It is not the kind of love you have for your spouse, children, and family. It is not the same love you have for close friends with whom you share the same interests and values. Love for all humanity is a rational commitment of goodwill and well-being expressed toward others. It is not necessarily something you feel but something you do. Loving your neighbor is treating them the same way you would treat yourself, and the same way you want to be treated. It is often sacrificial and unconditional, as in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). It is a love that gives without expecting anything in return. This love is not dependent upon your neighbor’s willingness to like you, be your friend, be good to you, or reciprocate in kind. Christians are commanded, authorized, and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to express the love of God toward our neighbor. The old Golden Rule is applicable here: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.“

Loving our neighbor as ourselves does not mean we share the same values, philosophy, or behaviors. Your neighbor’s lifestyle might be totally ungodly, abhorrently sinful, and extremely wicked. Loving your neighbor does not mean you accept, approve, agree with, or condone their corrupt lifestyle. Furthermore, we know that the LGBT same-sex advocates take issue with Christians who refuse to condone and approve same-sex relationships, same sex marriages, and all sexual immorality. They view Christians as haters because we follow God’s Word and urge them to do the same. Moreover, in a desperate and flawed effort to gain Christian acceptance, LGBT proponents have distorted and twisted various passages of Scripture to suggest God approves of homosexuality, transgenderism, and same sex relationships. These heretical abstracts are the doctrines of demons as foretold in the Bible (1st Timothy 4:1). Regardless, it is our responsibility as born-again Christians to love our neighbor and share God’s plan of salvation through Jesus. We must let them know they can turn to God in repentance and receive forgiveness, mercy, and grace. We must urge them to repent and follow Christ as Lord and Savior.

To obey the Lord’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves requires a godly disposition toward others. It is a righteous attitude of heart and mind that must be committed to love all, even those who disagree with us, don’t like us, have offended us, or caused trouble or pain in our lives. 

Love doesn’t seek revenge but repentance. I can pray for my neighbor and hope they repent and change their ways. I can patiently and kindly persevere, hoping they come to their senses and see the truth. Love strengthens us to endure through difficult and painful relationships, not allowing ourselves to be “easily angered.” It is through the love of God that Christians, who are recipients of God’s great love, can obey the command to love their neighbor as themselves.

The Apostle Paul illustrates the quintessential meaning of love. In 1st Corinthians 13:4-7, we read:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1st Corinthians 13:4-7)

How do I love others as I love myself?

If we are to love others as ourselves, we must understand what it means to love ourselves. Loving oneself means doing what is beneficial and not harmful. It requires responsible self-examination, self-discipline, self-correction, self-respect, and obedience to God. We must be honest with ourselves, forgiving, merciful, and gracious toward ourselves, or we will live in condemnation. We must hold ourselves accountable to godly morals and spiritual values revealed by the Holy Spirit and the word of God. 

In the same way, loving others requires treating them with respect, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. However, love also requires that we are honest and speak the truth into their lives through the word of God so they might know the way of repentance and salvation. The greatest love we can show our neighbor is to share the message of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins. If we love others, we will desire that they be born again and possess eternal life. If you hate others or act indifferent towards others, you will not care if they burn in hell. Imagine for a moment that the bridge crossing a river has collapsed and automobiles are plunging into the river. Would you warn your neighbor as they approach the bridge, or would you silently stand by and watch them plunge to their death in the river? 

Well, this is what it’s like for those who are unsaved. They are barreling down the path of life, headed toward hell, thinking everything is fine. If you love your neighbor, you will jump out in the road and flag them down before they plunge into the fires of Hell.

Two paths leading to two very different destinies.

Humanity can be divided into two groups: those who are saved, born-again Christians on their way to Heaven, and those who are unsaved, lost, on their way to Hell. Among the unsaved, you will find every kind of corrupt and sinful behavior imaginable and perhaps unimaginable. Nevertheless, Christ was crucified for all sinners to provide a way of escape from the consequences of our corruption. Yes, Christ died for that evil, corrupt neighbor that you may not care for at all. Without Christ, all humanity is headed to the same place: the eternal fires of hell.

To our unsaved neighbors, it is not God’s desire that anyone perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Do not be deceived:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men a ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9- 10)

When the Christian pastor tells you that adultery is a sin, that same sex relationships are sin, drunkenness is sin, slander is sin, and sexual immorality is sin, he is only repeating what God has already said. God is speaking to you through the preacher. He is not being hateful but showing you love by telling you the truth. Without turning to God in true repentance, you will not inherit eternal life.

Now you can try to twist what the scriptures say to fit your ungodly lifestyle, but the only person who will truly be deceived is you. You can try to shout me down and call me a hater, a bigot, or some other derogatory term, but I will not cease to tell you that you are wrong and God is calling you to repent of your ungodly lifestyle.

There is a day coming when we will stand before Christ. Listen to the words of Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Dear unsaved neighbor, Jesus is calling you to repent from your wicked ways and surrender your life to Him.