Can you be a Christian without loving your neighbor?
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Fenn
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I think another good question to add to this: Can you love God without loving your neighbor?
As far as recluses go. I am not sure and I would like to know if someone has some specific scripture out there. I am actually a recluse. It bothers my wife and kids a bit and so they push me to get out of the house with them, which I think is good. Good balance there.
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As far as recluses go. I am not sure and I would like to know if someone has some specific scripture out there. I am actually a recluse. It bothers my wife and kids a bit and so they push me to get out of the house with them, which I think is good. Good balance there.
B-A-C
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If you have a wife and children, I suspect you have the opportunity to show love to someone
I wasn't worried about the recluse part nearly as much as the loving your neighbor part.
Again, I know people can post many scriptures, but this time I'm asking, what do you think is right in your heart?
I don't want to argue the point with anyone, I just want to know what you think?
You must love.
There are many who are almost impossible to love. I struggle with it, I prayed about it.
God showed me that within each person is a soul, a preciuos soul; precious enough that Christ gave Him self for them. Each and every soul has the potential to be saved. Each and every person has the potential to be loving and lovable. As the saying goes "there, but for the grace of God, go I"
God has brought me to a point where I can look on the precious soul and disdain the ugly, vile, evil that sin has wrought.
I could have gone to great lengths to explain but wanted to keep it short and simple.
We must see as Christ sees....Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
There are many who are almost impossible to love. I struggle with it, I prayed about it.
God showed me that within each person is a soul, a preciuos soul; precious enough that Christ gave Him self for them. Each and every soul has the potential to be saved. Each and every person has the potential to be loving and lovable. As the saying goes "there, but for the grace of God, go I"
God has brought me to a point where I can look on the precious soul and disdain the ugly, vile, evil that sin has wrought.
I could have gone to great lengths to explain but wanted to keep it short and simple.
We must see as Christ sees....Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
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Yes we must love
Oh but sometimes it is so very hard and it is at those times we must kneel before the Lord and ask Him to melt our hearts with the same compassion that He had for us...that His love flows from us freely, nothing held back.
I was reading Spurgeon's sermon 'Love thy neighbour' earlier today and this is a small extract (the whole sermon is well worth reading)
Christ loved you before you loved Him.
He loved you when there was nothing good in you.
He loved you though you insulted Him,
though you despised Him and rebelled against Him.
He has loved you right on, and never ceased to love you.
He has loved you in your backslidings
and loved you out of them.
He has loved you in your sins, in your wickedness and folly.
His loving heart was still eternally the same,
and He shed his heart's blood to prove His love for you.
He has given you what you need on earth,
and provided for you an habitation in heaven.
Now Christian, your religion claims from you,
that you should love others, as your Master loved you.
How can you imitate Him, unless you love too?
With you "un"kindness should be a strange anomaly.
It is a gross contradiction to the spirit of your religion,
and if you do not love your neighbor, I cannot see
how you can be a true follower of the Lord Jesus.
(CH Spurgeon)
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:29-31
AbbysAunt
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John13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you,that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
Matthew5:48 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet you brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses,neither will your Father for your trespasses.
As we see in the verse from the book of John God has commanded us to love one another as He Himself loves us. We also see in Matthew that He tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them who use and persecute us and to bless those who curse us and to do good to those who hate us. "How can I do that" is what alot of people think or feel. This person hurt me so badly or this person used me and now im supposed to bless them, pray for them and do good to this person it just doesn't make sense. That my friends is what Jesus did when He took our punishment for us so we could be free. He didn't ask how can I do that they have hurt me so badly or why should I do this they have all turned their backs on me instead while hanging on that cross Jesus being in great pain and agony said these words " Father forgive them for they know not what they do". Jesus not only laid down His life, but He also forgave all that had been done and forgave us all of our transgressions and that is what truely loving one another means. To love one another as He has loved us means to forgive those who hurt us just as He forgave us who hurt Him.
"But it's so hard to forgive" God didn't promise this life would be easy nor did He say forgiving was going to be easy, but if we let Him He will mend our broken hearts and help us to forgive those have hurt us and to find peace in doing so. When we forgive it's not only for the one whom we do forgive, it's for ourselves also because what good does it do to harbor hate, anger, hurt and bitterness? These things will rob, steal and destroy the joy that God wants so much for you to have, but when you forgive you are giving all these things over to God and letting Him heal and mend your broken heart and He will fill it with His peace that surpasses all and any other kind of peace this world offers. Who knows you might even win a soul or two for God Himself if you forgive and allow Him to use you. It's not the easiest thing to forgive and yes more times than not it will take time to be able to say " I forgive you", but in the end you will receive so much more than you could ever imagine.
So, my answer is yes we must love our neighbors/brethren as Jesus has loved us to be saved christians, but also we must remember that in loving as Jesus has loved we must also be willing to forgive our enemies and those that have hurt us because if we don't or won't forgive then how can our Lord in Heaven forgive us? It's impossible and it tells us in the bible that if we don't forgive men their trespasses then our Lord won't forgive us. Loving one another as Jesus loves us not only means loving our neighbors and brethren it means loving those that may be not so loveable or those who have hurt us, used us and turned their backs on us. After all that is exactly what He did when He paid the price for us He forgave and asks us to do the same "forgive them for they know not what they do"
God bless you all
AA
Matthew5:48 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet you brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses,neither will your Father for your trespasses.
As we see in the verse from the book of John God has commanded us to love one another as He Himself loves us. We also see in Matthew that He tells us to love our enemies and to pray for them who use and persecute us and to bless those who curse us and to do good to those who hate us. "How can I do that" is what alot of people think or feel. This person hurt me so badly or this person used me and now im supposed to bless them, pray for them and do good to this person it just doesn't make sense. That my friends is what Jesus did when He took our punishment for us so we could be free. He didn't ask how can I do that they have hurt me so badly or why should I do this they have all turned their backs on me instead while hanging on that cross Jesus being in great pain and agony said these words " Father forgive them for they know not what they do". Jesus not only laid down His life, but He also forgave all that had been done and forgave us all of our transgressions and that is what truely loving one another means. To love one another as He has loved us means to forgive those who hurt us just as He forgave us who hurt Him.
"But it's so hard to forgive" God didn't promise this life would be easy nor did He say forgiving was going to be easy, but if we let Him He will mend our broken hearts and help us to forgive those have hurt us and to find peace in doing so. When we forgive it's not only for the one whom we do forgive, it's for ourselves also because what good does it do to harbor hate, anger, hurt and bitterness? These things will rob, steal and destroy the joy that God wants so much for you to have, but when you forgive you are giving all these things over to God and letting Him heal and mend your broken heart and He will fill it with His peace that surpasses all and any other kind of peace this world offers. Who knows you might even win a soul or two for God Himself if you forgive and allow Him to use you. It's not the easiest thing to forgive and yes more times than not it will take time to be able to say " I forgive you", but in the end you will receive so much more than you could ever imagine.
So, my answer is yes we must love our neighbors/brethren as Jesus has loved us to be saved christians, but also we must remember that in loving as Jesus has loved we must also be willing to forgive our enemies and those that have hurt us because if we don't or won't forgive then how can our Lord in Heaven forgive us? It's impossible and it tells us in the bible that if we don't forgive men their trespasses then our Lord won't forgive us. Loving one another as Jesus loves us not only means loving our neighbors and brethren it means loving those that may be not so loveable or those who have hurt us, used us and turned their backs on us. After all that is exactly what He did when He paid the price for us He forgave and asks us to do the same "forgive them for they know not what they do"
God bless you all
AA
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Being a mature christian is not accomplished in a few days, it takes a lifetime! The expectations of us as christians by worldly non-christians is high. But we grow by reading His Word and allowing God to convict our heart so we can make changes with the help of the Holy Spirit and Jesus.
If we say that we are disciples then we are suppose to obey his word. He said that loving others is the most important thing besides loving God that we can do. I think if we don't love others then we are showing that the love of God is not growing and abiding in us. There will always be those who are a challenge to love though, no matter how mature in Christ you get.
Stickz
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I John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Love is a thing that demands to be spread. It bubbles and boils to the top and overflows the spirit. It is a joy like no other and can't be chained within anything or anyone. Those who try to regulate it are plagued by fear and this strangles love and in the end turns the individual arrogant as if people need to reach a point of acceptance by the person to have love released to them.
I remember that my aunt used to say, "Well Christ says I need to love him/her, so I will." This is not love, since it is given reluctantly and because someone she thinks she knows has commanded it from her.
Love is an all or nothing thing. It can not be turned on or off like a light switch. You don't have to like what a person does to love them, simply know that they do what they do because of their own personal experiences, and the teachings of a unconcerned world. Sometimes an outstretched hand an a smile melts through solid steel.
I remember that my aunt used to say, "Well Christ says I need to love him/her, so I will." This is not love, since it is given reluctantly and because someone she thinks she knows has commanded it from her.
Love is an all or nothing thing. It can not be turned on or off like a light switch. You don't have to like what a person does to love them, simply know that they do what they do because of their own personal experiences, and the teachings of a unconcerned world. Sometimes an outstretched hand an a smile melts through solid steel.
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How can we ever convince the world and the lost of the beautiful love of Jesus, if we are not prepared to live and love like Jesus
This song keeps coming to mind when I read this thread, especially the chorus?
Oh suffering soul, crying out for love
In a world that seldom cares
See the hungry heart longing to be filled
Much more than our prayers
And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
And you hear her crying out for help,
"My God, what will we do?"
Chorus:
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too
Till your heart breaks from the sorrow and the pain they're going through
With a life full of compassion may we do what we must do
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too
Oh, the desperate man
Are we reaching for the souls that are sinking down in sin?
Oh, cry for the child
We've lost our passion for the lost and there are billions left to win
And another forty thousand children starve to death today
Would we risk all we have to see what of them say
Chorus
Why have we waited so long to show them Jesus lives
To share salvation's song
Why have our hearts become so proud that we fail to see
To love them is to love God
And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
Hear her crying out for help,
"What will we do?"
Chorus
By Steve Camp
This song keeps coming to mind when I read this thread, especially the chorus?
Oh suffering soul, crying out for love
In a world that seldom cares
See the hungry heart longing to be filled
Much more than our prayers
And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
And you hear her crying out for help,
"My God, what will we do?"
Chorus:
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too
Till your heart breaks from the sorrow and the pain they're going through
With a life full of compassion may we do what we must do
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too
Oh, the desperate man
Are we reaching for the souls that are sinking down in sin?
Oh, cry for the child
We've lost our passion for the lost and there are billions left to win
And another forty thousand children starve to death today
Would we risk all we have to see what of them say
Chorus
Why have we waited so long to show them Jesus lives
To share salvation's song
Why have our hearts become so proud that we fail to see
To love them is to love God
And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
Hear her crying out for help,
"What will we do?"
Chorus
By Steve Camp
That was beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes.
I think the question you asked is that people must learn to love themselves before they can love others. The world leaves them coveting what they have not and keeps their attention on that which shines on the TV set instead of what shines in their souls. If any doesn't appreciate what gifts they've already received, how can they look with love to anything or anyone else. That's what faith is for. That's what God is for and with him love for yourself and others.
B-A-C
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I think there is a lot of truth in this. But sometimes I feel love comes from obedience and commitment.
There is scripture to support this but a good example is in a Christian movie about marriage called "Fireproof" and something called "the love dare".
At first the husband in the movie is fine with his wife leaving and it doesn't look like he loves her very much. In fact the boat he is saving up for is more important than she is.
He doesn't want to do anything to show her love. His father gives him a book about showing love over 40 days to his wife. Eventually he starts doing things in the book to show her love. He buys her flowers, he gives up pornography, he makes her breakfast, he washes the dishes and does the laundry. Over a period of 40 days he does more and more for her. As he does this and starts realizing the commitment that love takes, somewhere along the way he quits "having to show her love" and starts "wanting to show her love".
One of the most powerful lines in the movie comes when his wife finds out the reason (she finds the book) he is doing this and asks him what day
he is on. He answers 42. She says the book only has 40 days in it. He says "who says I have to stop?" (loving you).
Maybe sometimes we have to force ourselves to love, before we learn what real love really is.
I think sometimes even our love for Jesus can start out this way.
DieAmartyr
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No. If you do not love your neighbor you are not a Christian.
What is Jesus One commandment?
Brad Huber
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I would disagree a bit, if you are surrounded by very evil people such as Lot was.... even God hated the people so much, that He pulled the 1 righteous person and his family out of the city before destroying it. In that case, I would say "move away" before your family has been all completely corrupted by their presence.
DieAmartyr
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I have read stories of martyrs who prayed while being burnt at the stake for their enemies and by the love they showed at their time of death they got the enemies to want to know who this " Jesus" was and in turn, converted to Christianity and repented. Love conquers all and though difficult at times in this day and age, especially as an American who has "pride" engrained from a young age, humbleness is a trait that has had to be learned. By me, anyways.
Brad Huber
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Has love conquered satan? Pls no spiritual mish mash of an answer, has the love of Christ turned satan into a christian?
DieAmartyr
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Absolutely not and it never will but he will bow before Him.
Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven and things on earth and things under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
Brad Huber
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Then those who are heavily influenced by satan will also not likely to respond to love. That was my point.
Dave M
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I was just reading of similar examples given by you, in a book called tortured for Christ, amazing to see the true love Of saints, more worried about the people that are torturing them, then they are worried about being tortured,
