How do you love your neighbor as yourself? Who’s your neighbor? If you love God with all your heart, mind in soul what’s left? Believers have the Holy Spirit in them to empower us to go beyond and extend that care and concern for our fellow man. God has “called us to be holy as He is holy” 1 Peter 1:16.
Neighbor neigh·bor
/ˈnābər/
Someone close by could be a fellow believer or not. A neighbor is anyone God has placed in your path.
Modern Love
We live in a world of self love. Their favorite word and subject is “I”. When you love yourself first, you cannot love your brother as yourself, and certainly not God above all others. “Pride is not of the Father but of the devil” 1 John 2:16. This generation’s version of love is lust for the flesh and the feelings the flesh stirs up. They love their relatives, their bloodline. They love those who look and agree with them. You only have to look at social media. The kingdom of God is not based on likes and dislikes or even a democracy, “the Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace in the Holy Spirit” Romans 14:17.
Love your neighbor as yourself not in words but in actions and truth 1 John 3:18. We heard those who say love; but their deeds show only love of self. There are plenty of pretenders out there posing as believers with words and loving when convenient. They “talk a talk” but their actions say otherwise. Test the spirits are they of God or from the world 1 John 4:1.
Love God First
It’s natural to love those we are close to a relative or friend. The second commandment commands believers to extend that love to extend that love to your fellow man. It’s hard to impossible to love your neighbor as yourself unless you First Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Love of your neighbor.
Everyone with or without Christ care deeply for their child, friend or spouse. That’s human love, a love that cannot save. God commands us to follow the golden rule “do to others what you want done to you“ Matthew 7:22. If you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to another.
How To Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
If you do these things you will fulfill the Royal Law, “ To love your neighbor as yourself” James 2:8. This is love, a lasting love with deeds. Jesus taught us the golden rule. And do it as heartily and sincerely as you would desire to be done to you by your neighbor.
Love your Enemies
Even our enemy is not to be treated as an enemy, but with love. When you love your enemy you don’t treat them with retribution and vengeance. Leave it to God “He will repay them”. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:19-20. This is the way of the believer.
Final Days
Neighborly love is not the love that’s expressed in the world today. The love that exists we see today is a touchy-feely, emotional thing that is temporary and more effeminate than godly. Social media and television news reports that bullying, false accusations, suicides, mass shootings are rampant and are the results. What happens in the daily lives of many is far worse because it’s felt in their soul. In the last days, “the love of many will grow cold” Matthew 24:12.
Loving your neighbor as yourself springs from loving God God above all else. When you love God above all else, you want to do what pleases Him; which means loving your neighbor as yourself.
God loves humanity, and He displayed this love when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to be crucified, paying the price of sin for the human race. Those who by faith believe on Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection are forgiven and receive eternal life and are called the children of God. The unbelievers will get death. While God loves us all, He doesn’t love unbelievers like He loves His children.
The greatest gift, next to laying down your life for your neighbor, is the gift of the truth of Jesus Christ, leading to salvation. That is a gift of love for their soul. It’s our souls that God loves. Someone shared the truth with you, leading to your salvation; show someone the way.