LOVE ONE ANOTHER: JESUS CHRIST' COMMAND BIBLE STUDY

A new command I give you: Love one another (John 13:34)

Command: Love One Another. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35). It's easy to look outside of ourselves and say, 'yeah, no one is following that command.' But what happens when you look a little closer, inside our own hearts? Then it's not so easy to judge everyone else, when we truly review our own conduct and intentions. How many times have you hurt those you love? If you're like me, it's more than you'd care to admit.

This Cursed World Begins With Me. Instead of looking at the speck in my brother's eye, I need to focus on the log within my own (Matthew 7:3). Oh the wretch that I am, I can't even keep the command of the One I love. I've walked in the Spirit for seven years now: walking, talking and trying to obey my Lord and Savior.  Just yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to have two young girls, whom I just met, tell me that I radiate joy and nothing gets me down. I can't even boast in that for very long, because I like Peter can one minute have the radiance of God upon me and the next minute speak blasphemous curses against those I love. (Matthew 16:15-23; Ephesians 4:30).

Hardened Strong's Concordance G4645 skleruno by https://biblehub.com/greek/strongs_4645.htm 

The Walls Around My Heart Entrap Me. Although my heart wants to be loving and please the Lord, my flesh is weak. I have strong fortified walls surrounding and guarding my heart. I built them without a crack for the past 40 years and in my ignorance I was proud of them. These walls were built to protect me: to prevent one more person from hurting me, to make sure that bad thing never happened again, and to keep people at an arm's reach away. These walls never really stopped me from being hurt; that's why there was always a need for another brick. With the Word, which is alive and active, I discovered these walls  were built by the enemy to entrap me. Entrap me, not keep others out! They were never designed to help me but to hurt me. They were built to separate me from loving others and being loved by others. I worked closely, side by side, with the enemy to build these walls and they are nothing more than a hardened heart. A heart of disobedience to my Lord and Savior. (Hebrews 3:8).
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The Word is Sharper Than Any Two-Edged Sword. When you come under the Masters two edged blade, the word, oftentimes, it pierces the conscious. "For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12). When I look at myself in truth and measure myself against the standard, the Holy Word of God and allow myself to be lead by the Spirit, it cuts right through to expose the intentions of my heart. Why am I really acting this way or thinking these thoughts? Allowing the Spirit to lead you, you'll quickly leave judging others to begin the constant repair of mending your own sinful and disobedient hardened heart. 

I'm No Better Than Anyone Else. The simple truth is I'm not any better than anyone else, even in my knowledge of the bible for even that is a gift of God, and I can't boast. I have nothing within myself, apart from the Lord of which to boast (Isaiah 53:6). The bible teaches us to exam ourselves to see if we're really in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5); (2 Peter 1:10-11).  
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Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Obeying The Lord's Commands Are The Joy of My Life.  Oh the devils been a liar since the beginning, convincing me and others that the Master's ways are restrictive and hard work with no fun. He couldn't be any further from the truth (John 8:44), for the Lord's ways are rich in mercy and abounding in grace (Ephesians 2:4). He gives gifts to man (Ephesians 4:11). The truth is that God has chosen us for a specific and divine purpose of producing fruits of righteousness and love with the ever present help of the Holy Spirit within you guiding us and allowing access to the Throne of Grace where our prayers are heard and answered. Oh the truth is that God is good; God is love; and He gives love (John 15:16; Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 7:17-18).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we walk with the Holy Spirit leading us, our lives and hearts are transformed from death to life. We give our hardened, disobedient hearts to Christ, and He gives a new heart filled with love, joy, peace, kindness, tenderness, gentleness, faithfulness, patience, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22). Everything that is of the Lord is good and He shares it all with His children. He only wants a heart tender in affection for Him and for others.  He has given us His great love, and all He wants is for us to share it with others.

Oh how I wish I could overcome my own sinful disobedient hardened heart, so that I can love as the Father loves.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have lavished Your love upon us, help us Dear Lord to pour it out without measure to all those around us. Help us to destroy the walls of our hearts, taking brick upon brick down to the ground as you dismantled the temple built with human hands. Let that be the bricks of my heart that You dismantle for I know they're cords from hell to bind me and hold me captive. Lord break every chain that binds me. Let the captive go free: free to love You with a sincere and reverent heart, and to lavishly pour out the living waters of love and peace from a completely opened heart. Teach me to love, as You love. We ask all this is the power of the name of our Master, our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN