31 Principle 27 - The Priority of Love

Principle 27 The Priority of Love The Lord is crystal clear in the priority and importance He puts on our love for one another. This is not an option, but a reality that will manifest when true believers are together. If love is lacking, there should be a sense of alarm that something is wrong in the body life. The law of love says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Our Lord not only commanded the early disciples to love one another, but said that it would be a fruit that would show their world that God has assembled a church on the earth. Every believer should consider reading through 1 Corinthians 13 on a regular basis to keep the right priority in Christian discipleship. The phrase, one another, occurs over 25 times in the New Testament. Here are some of the phrases. Forgive one another. Encourage one another. Do not slander one another. Act in humility towards one another. Fellowship with one another. These statements are not just a rule sheet to keep, but rather truths that the Holy Spirit of God wants to work into our lives, for us to become more like Jesus Christ. To walk in this new covenant way of love requires a resting and dependence on the grace of our Lord. In an individualistic society, we need to be watchful what we think of others, especially those of the household of faith. Beware of schism, of making a rent in the church of Christ. That inward disunion, the members ceasing to have a reciprocal love one for another, is the very root of all contention and every outward separation. The two greatest commandments in the Bible given us by our Lord are based on love. Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. The scripture says that if we do not love, we are nothing. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Our Lord taught on the principle of loving the least brethren by saying, Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The king will reply, Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. A sober revelation indeed. In the day of judgment, the Lord is not going to separate the sheep from the goats based upon how many sermons we preached, or how many souls we were able to convert to Christ, or how many things we accurately prophesied, or how many demons we cast out. Nay, here in this passage it is shown people being accepted or condemned based upon how they treated, and in the most practical ways, the least of Christians. For how people treat the least of Christians is how they treat Christ Himself. May we gain this priority of love as essential in our assemblies and towards the weakest of believers as we meet together under the headship of Jesus Christ.