JOHN 13:34

John 13:34 (NKJV) wrote:

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

I was one of those little Catholic school girls who had the commandments drilled into my head in primary school (as well as little catchy slogans like "No Hat No Play" which makes me the skin-cancer-aware person I am today.. That's sarcasm, by the way, at it's best) so I knew things like The Golden Rule and John13:34.. But I've been thinking (As you do).. Do any of us actually succeed in carrying out a commandment such as this?

There's an old saying that goes something like "Rules are made to be broken", but what if those rules were set in place to PREVENT hurt? Say.. The (well known) Ten Commandments.

Exodus2O (NKJV) wrote:

1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

All these commandments are more like warnings of what not to do.. Things that we should stick to if we do not want to hurt ourselves, or others, or separate ourselves from God.
But then if "Rules are made to be broken," does this excuse the wrong things that we do? Do this excuse every murderer, person who commits adultery, thief etc etc? I sure hope not. But we live in a society where God seems to not be needed, which is a strange way of thinking, because the very people who claim they do not need God, are the ones who end up seeking satisfaction elsewhere.

I think that if we could stick to that one commandment, of JOHN13:34, then the world could be a much better place.
But I suppose you can't cherish the good if you don't have the bad.
The world is a strange paradox..

Hm .. tsk an interesting thought

Romans has alot of good theology in terms of .. "should we keep sinning if Christ has forgiven us" .. esp Romans 6

Its funny the whole Jesus thing .. coz the truth is .. anyone who's murdered someone .. stolen .. or wateva .. can seriously be forgiven if they would just turn 2 God .. so i guess does that mean we can just recieve "cheap grace" .. in terms of .. everytime i do something bad .. i know that i'll be forgiven for it anyways .. and so i keep doing it (Romans 6 answers this)

Thought i must admit .. and i personally believe .. that a person who truly understands that they are forgiven .. not just that they are excused from punishment .. but forgiven and loved by God ... they can't help but change and want 2 follow these "perfect regulations" that seem 2 b set b4 us.

I actually believe the problem with the world isnt that ppl can abuse forgiveness .. and just do wateva they want .. but i think the real issue is that not many ppl have actualy tasted the goodness of God's forgiveness .. they really do miss out .. coz its something that free's pplz lives and changes them .. to truly be loved ... i guess ultimately allowing the Holy Spirit into there lives .. so God Himself can be as close 2 us as He can

Anyways i agree with wat u said .. John 13:34 would b a great place to live at .. i guess ultimately its in Heaven .. but why not start now ??

Since we're all looking for perfection (although some in all the wrong places) then we should at least TRY to match up with God's perfection.. In the way he told us to be.
If we were made in God's image, then we're the closest thing to God, right? Which means we should TRY and stick to perfection, like God is, right? Forgiveness from God is awesome, but it would make ourselves feel better if we don't keep sinning and have to look for forgiveness in God! Sin is wrong, and doing something wrong makes (the majority) of us feel bad about doing such things.. So I think that God designed forgiveness so that we would be forgiven etc etc, but TRY NOT TO SIN AS MUCH (even though since we're human that's impossible: doesn't mean we shouldn't try, right?)
Ky word: TRY. As long as we TRY, we can achieve more than what we assumed we could! Taking the RIGHT CHOICE, whatever that may be for whatever decision you're trying to make, means that you bring yourself closer to God. I think that forgiveness brings you BACK TO God, but doesn't bring you any closer.


I will continue tonight. Or tomorrow.
They're kicking us out of the library..

Hahah kicked out ay .. sounds fun

But yea its tru .. actually the whole perfection thing has been looked at pretty badly by most of society

Its like "oh stop trying 2 b perfect coz were just human etc etc" and most ppl use that as a reason not 2 live holy lives for God

But the way i think of it .. its like if you love someone .. ur willing 2 do wateva it takes 2 please them .. etc a bf/gf wife/husband

In that sense i think many ppl r willing 2 change wat they do just 2 please that person .. i guess i see God in the same light

I love God .. and so in reality i want 2 please Him .. just like a husband wants 2 please his wife .. and so im willing 2 do wateva it takes .. even if it seems reaching for an impossible stand like "perfection"

Many couples do it 4 each other .. im simply applying the same principle 2 God

I think most people use that for a lot of things, Will.. It's a sad fact of human nature: we're all lazy.
We should be trying HARDER to persue perfection BECAUSE we're "just human". But since perfection is out of our reach (As it should be) we just give up without trying in the first place..
Agreed with your points about love. If you really did love someone, you WOULD do anything for them.
Even if it means persuing (SPELL CHECK) perfection that can never be reached.