“You Shall Love Your Neighbor as You Love Yourself”

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Anthony Terry in Christianity, Perfecting of the Saints, Religion, Scripture

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For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14

Saints, I speak today upon the word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There are many among us that are transgressors of the Royal Law for they, in truth, are not loving their neighbor as themselves. They are transgressors not by desire, but by ignorance. I say ignorance, simply because, many have spent moments reading God’s doctrine, but they have not studied God’s doctrine. They have instead listened to man’s doctrine. This is indeed a salvation issue for if we do not fulfill this vital portion of the Royal Law, we are found as transgressors of the entirety of the Royal Law of God.

The Second Chapter of the Book of James Describes it Like This

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:1-26

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Many today speak as they love their neighbor but with deed they are proven as blasphemers and liars (James 2:7)

  • “You shall” – means you will; not that it is a suggestion nor it is optional (Exodus 20:1-26)
  • “love” – means simply to serve (Joshua 22:5, John 12:26, Mark 9:35, 1 Peter 2:16)
  • “your neighbor” – by Gods doctrine are those that know God (Jeremiah 31:34 & Hebrews 8:11)
  • “as yourself” – here is where evidence is seen (Ephesians 5:29-32)
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:29-32
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18
We May Have Opportunities to Love Our Neighbor by Assisting With Financial Needs According to God’s Doctrine
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:1-3
We Can Love Our Neighbor With Time Spent With One Another in Faith
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established– that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. Romans 1:8-13

We could see a single mother with an infant whom has to work and drop her little one off in a daycare. When there are among us elderly woman whom have raised their children and have time during the day to help the single mother in fulfilling that need of child care. It could be a single mother whom has a youth that is fatherless and her young son or daughter is being raised more by the streets rather than their parents. As elders among us, we could spend precious time with those children and take them fishing, play basketball with them, or a multitude of activities as so to keep them off the streets. We could see one that has overgrown grass and you having a lawn mower, weed eater, and time.  We should grab another brother or sister and just show up and take care of their yard for them. There are many examples of selfless acts that we could be doing for one another to show our love.

We are commanded to do these things to the brothers and sisters in Christ but we should still do these things for unbelievers as well. Notice I did not say we were commanded to do these things for all unbelievers (the haters of God). I said we are to display compassion, understanding, mercy, and kindness to them. Think for a moment of the single mother who knows you yet does not know God. In offering to help her, we are a part of soil preparation. There is only one soil (Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 8:4-15, Mark 4:1-20) that is productive when the Word of God is sown into it. Think for a moment of the young child of the single mother who knows you yet does not know God. In showing them compassion, understanding, mercy, and kindness, you could be a part of preparing that soil for them as well.

So Brothers and Sisters I ask You a Question…

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are reprobates. But I trust that you will know that we are not reprobates. Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem reprobates. 2 Corinthians 13:5-7

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.  Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. 2 Peter 1:10-15

We are warned and I pray for all of the saints to take heed of this warning. We are told to examine ourselves daily. To prove ourselves to be in the faith; we are to know that Jesus Christ is in us. We are told to be diligent to make our calling and election sure.  I pray that we are shown by God how to love and why. Although we are saved by grace alone and given that precious gift of faith from the Father. We have a part in establishing ourselves as well and this is done through our Father’s grace. We are still responsible in our deeds and actions.

For Even Timothy was Warned by Paul

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. Timothy 4:16

(2 Corinthians 5:20)

We must constantly examine our heart as sealed and separated saints. Are we representing God as we should? Are we displaying to the dark, lost world the light of salvation? How can we love our neighbor as we love ourselves?  God’s grace and blessings to all my brothers and sisters.

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