The “One Another” Commands
Throughout the New Testament there are a particular class of commands that have been labeled the “one another” commands. These commands are to help Jesus followers relate to “one another” in life. In my opinion they all flow and expound from the “new commandment” that Jesus gives in John 13:34-35, the command to “love one another”. These commands answer the question, “How do we love one another?”
For my Meadowview family in light of Sunday’s sermon (1 John 2:7-11) let’s take time this week to evaluate our obedience to these commandments.
- Love One Another – John 13:34-35; John 15:12; John 15:17; Romans 12:10; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 3:11; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 4:11-12; 2 John 1:5
- Honor One Another – Romans 12:10
- Greet One Another – Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Peter 5:14
- Welcome One Another – Romans 15:7
- Show Hospitality to One Another – 1 Peter 4:9
- Have Fellowship with One Another – 1 John 1:7
- Agree with One Another – 2 Corinthians 13:11
- Live in Harmony with One Another – Romans 12:16; Romans 15:5
- Be at Peace with One Another – Mark 9:50
- Be Kind to One Another – Ephesians 4:32
- Forgive One Another – Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
- Bear with One Another – Ephesians 4:2-3; Colossians 3:13
- Bear One Another’s Burdens – Galatians 6:2
- Comfort One Another – 2 Corinthians 13:11
- Care for One Another – 1 Corinthians 12:25
- Confess Sins to One Another – James 5:16
- Pray for One Another – James 5:16
- Encourage One Another – 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:25
- Build One Another Up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
- Exhort One Another – Hebrews 3:13
- Instruct One Another – Romans 15:14
- Teach and Admonish One Another – Colossians 3:16
- Sing with One Another – Ephesians 5:19
- Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Works – Hebrews 10:24
- Do Good to One Another – 1 Thessalonians 5:15
- Serve One Another – Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10
- Wash One Another’s Feet – John 13:14
- Wait for One Another – 1 Corinthians 11:33
- Be Humble Toward One Another – 1 Peter 5:5
- Submit to One Another – Ephesians 5:21
- Speak the Truth to One Another – Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9
- Do Not Speak against One Another – James 4:11; James 5:9
- Do Not Judge One Another – Romans 14:13
- Do Not Provoke One Another – Galatians 5:26
- Do Not Envy One Another – Galatians 5:26
Obedience Borne of Love – Milton Vincent
For the past couple of weeks I have been reading an excerpt from A Gospel Primer for Christians each morning. This past week I read this section that fits so well with 1 John 2:3-6 and the directive to “keep His commandments”. Milton Vincent writes:
To love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength is the greatest commandment in the Law (Mark 12:28-30). If I could simply fulfill this one commandment, I would gladly fulfill all others as a natural matter of course.
So how can I come to love God with all my being (1 John 5:3)? The Bible teaches that genuine love in my heart for God is generated by an awareness of His love for me (1 John 4:19), and nowhere is the love of God more clearly revealed than in the gospel (Romans 5:7-8, John 15:13, Ephesians 2:4-5).
Therefore, preaching the gospel to myself is a great way to keep God’s amazing love before my eyes, so that I might experience its power to produce in me a passionate love for Him in return. Captured by His love in this way, my smitten heart increasingly burns to do His will and feasts itself on doing so. (John 14:31, John 4:34, Psalm 40:8)
A Prayer As We Approach God’s Word
I have been working on fostering a deeper and more genuine relationship with Jesus, trying to cut through the pretense and hypocrisy that comes so easy to me. Recently I came across this helpful prayer:
“O living Christ, make this a living word to me. Thy word is life, but not without the Holy Spirit. I may know this book of thine from beginning to end, and repeat it all from Genesis to Revelation, and yet it may be a dead book, and I may be a dead soul. But, Lord, be present here; then will I look up from the book to the Lord; from the precept to him who fulfilled it; from the law to him who honoured it; from the threatening to him who has borne it for me, and from the promise to him in whom it is. Yea and amen.”
Charles Spurgeon
Jesus Our Intercessor
In a recent sermon – 1 John 1:1-2 – we were considering the role of: Jesus our advocate. Bible passages like Hebrews 4:14-16 and Romans 8:33-34 paint the picture that Jesus is presently at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. But what does that involve? And more importantly, why is it necessary? Didn’t Jesus secure our salvation by making atonement on the cross?
Dane Ortlund addresses these questions and offers these helpful thoughts:
…intercession applies what the atonement accomplished. Christ’s present heavenly intercession on our behalf is a reflection of the fullness and victory and completeness of his earthly work, not a reflection of anything lacking in his earthly work. The atonement accomplished our salvation; intercession is the moment-by-moment application of that atoning work. In the past, Jesus did what he now talks about; in the present, Jesus talks about what he then did. This is why the New Testament weds justification and intercession, such as in Romans 8:33-34: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised —who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Intercession is the constant hitting “refresh” of our justification in the court of heaven.
Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly
If We Don’t Confess Our Sins
In 1 John 1:9 we read this brilliant promise, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Because of Jesus atoning work we – sinners – can be forgiven. The stipulation is we must confess our sin; we must humbly acknowledge our sin; we must say the same thing about our sin that God says about our sin. Confession of sin is part of the broader instruction to “walk in the light” rather than walking in the darkness. To walk in the light is to confess our sin, but to walk in the darkness is to hide our sin. (1 John 1:6-7)
But what happens if we don’t confess our sin? I’m not asking about the theological ramifications of unconfessed sin, my intention is to address the personal ramifications of unconfessed sin. In Psalm 32 David recounts a time when he didn’t confess his sin. Though the Psalm opens with his jubilation over forgiven sin, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered”, in verses 3-4 he remembers the pain of keeping silent and attempting to hide his sin from others.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
David recounts a painful emotional and physical experience – aching bones and failing strength. Allen Ross offers some thoughts on David’s condition.
…all his days were filled with groaning as he weakened in his spirit, and his vitality for living, literally his life juices, dried up like the heat of summer. This comparison with the summer heat (simile) is vivid; it drains the energy and immobilizes the will to live life to the full. David’s zest was not there; he was not motivated. He felt drained all the time. Basically, he was depressed, and it affected his physical energy and health.
Allen Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms
Does David’s description resonate with you? Are you keeping silent about some sin? Is the guilt of that sin consuming you? If this describes you I want you to consider two thoughts.
First, David says, “…day and night your hand was heavy upon me.” The guilt that you are feeling – even in your bones – is God’s gracious work in your life. The Lord disciplines the ones that He loves and He loves you too much to allow sin to destroy your life. Give thanks for the grace of guilt!
Second, what are you waiting for? Make confession right now! In verse 5 we read,
I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my inqiuity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the LORD,’ and he forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Friends, why continue to suffer under the weight of unconfessed sin? Right now make confession and receive forgiveness through our Savior Jesus? When you have taken this first step I want to encourage you to take the next step of reaching out to a godly friend or mentor and confess to them. Not because they have the ability to forgive, but they can encourage, admonish, and pray for you.
*If you want to consider more regarding confession of sin and the dangers of unconfessed sin, you can watch this recent sermon covering these issues – 1 John 1:5-10.