Love One Another

Writing to a divided church in conflict and deficient in love, Paul instructed the believers at Corinth how to love one another and described what true love looks like (1 Corinthians 13:4-13). Jesus taught that love is a requirement for those who believe in Him. Loving God and our neighbor are the most important commandments for “the entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40 nlt). Building on the original standard of “love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 39), Christ sets a higher standard, patterned now after His sacrificial love. He wants us to “love one another [as] I have loved you” (John 13:34). Calling it a new commandment, Jesus said love was the distinguishing mark of those who believe in Him (v. 35). Loving others is proof that we’re God’s children who’ve experienced His love (1 John 4:7-12, 19-21).