LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Jesus told His disciples before he died on the cross, "Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" John 13:34. If Christ is dwelling within us, how is it possible to show anything other than love to those around us? Paul said in Romans 12:10, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." Peter says, "Be all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." Again, "Above all things have fervent love among yourselves." 1 Peter 3:8, and 4:8. John says, "This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." 1 John 3:11. The same is taught in many other places.
Now that we have established that God certainly commands us to be loving and kind toward one another, He also wants us to love with sincerity. After all if it's not sincere than it's not real love, right! The definition of sincere- being without hypocrisy or pretense; true: a sincere friend. John said in 1 John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." Now this can at times feel nearly impossible, God never said serving loving the person next to you, whole heartily would be easy. It takes constant renewing of the Spirit, and often times failing a few times before getting it right. Everyone has had someone at some point in their life hurt them, or even attack them! It's hard to get past the pain when someone hurts you or your family, especially when it's from someone in the church. Truth is we hold other Christians at a higher standard than a lost sinner who is not living according to the word. The Bible tells us we all fall short of the glory of God! My pastor tells us if we mess up, we should fess up. You can hold a person at a higher regard or respect if they level with you sincerely and truly show the compassion toward you the way God would find pleasing. Truth is we have to except that man will fail us every time, but the trust we put in God will never fail us. "Jesus is the same yesterday, and today and forever."Hebrews 13:8. He will never fail us, His love is endless. I have learned through my years serving the Lord that forgiveness is not always just for the person you feel has wronged you. Forgiveness sets your soul free from the bondage of Satan. Yes, even people who love the Lord can be bound by a spiritual stronghold. We must totally give the pain and hurt feelings we harbor to God, by doing so, we are no longer weighed down or discouraged by the problem but renewed with hope, strength and peace that passes all understand. 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
Now in conclusion, I realize you can't always reason with an unreasonable person. Some are bound with determination to hate you and rage against you no matter what you say or do. Again our forgiveness toward them is what we will be judge on, not their forgiveness toward us. We are all given choices in life, we are judged based on the choices we make. We have a choice to serve God or to not serve Him, to hate or love, to forgive or resent. We are blessed according to our obedience to the word. But remember, they hated Christ without cause also, John 15:25 "But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." Luke 6:22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake." Psalm 5:5 "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." Psalm 41:7 "All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt." Psalm 44:7 "But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us."
Proverbs 4:15 "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."
Romans 16:17 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
Fervent forgiveness, is necessary and required to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Love is a commandment that we must all follow,"Let brotherly love continue."Heb.13:1