We Must Love One Another John 15:17-21 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Reasons why you and I need to love one another:

Because Jesus commands us to love one another – This is not a suggestion, hint, proposition, or option. It is a command (John 15:17, 2 Tim. 2:3-4). When we fail to obey this command we are in disobedience to our commander, the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 4:16).

Because the world hates you – Religious people are mad at God because He will not accept their works into which they have put a lot of time and effort (1 John 3:12). In their heart they are offended by His rejection of their works and respond by rejecting His Son Jesus Christ. When you stand up and tell a religious person to forget all of that religious nonsense and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior as a free gift he is going to hate you the same way that Cain hated Abel (James 4:4, Gal. 5:15, 1 John 4:20-21). We must love each other because the world surely won’t love us.

Because the world persecutes us – InAmerica there is a movement to remove God and the Bible from every possible facet of public life. The atheists are becoming evangelical in promoting their hatred of God. Too often there is a religious family member trying to shut up the budding convert who has just accepted Jesus Christ. In Islamic and Buddhist countries Christians are either run out of the country or slain (2 Tim 3:12, Mark 4:5, 2 Cor. 12:10). We must love each other to be able to withstand the persecution of the world.

Because the world hates Jesus name – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” – John 15:18 (Mark 9:39, Acts 4:18, 5:40, 9:29). There are too many unnecessary divisions within the church. We are supposed to be on the same team. How can we stand for the name of Jesus Christ against the enemy when we allow that enemy to divide us? Put the differences aside, pray together and love one another.