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LOVING "YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF".
Whenever a man makes known to a
neighbour his unacceptable sin(s), and does so according to accurate knowledge
of the Holy Word of God, that man is showing his neighbour a measure of love.
Obeying the commandments of God with regard to another is showing love. In fact,
he is loving his neighbour as himself; just as a fellow Christian is shown love
by a spiritual brother when of necessity he is corrected by him. (Matt 22:37 The Word of God contains the perfect boundaries of the "rule of conduct" of love. For love is a spiritual quality that originates with God, not with imperfect mankind. (1 Cor 13:4-7 & 13. Gal 6:16 & 5:22,23) (2 John V.6). Any man or woman merely showing what they consider to be love, while they or their neighbour continue to sin against God, is not showing love, but is rebelling against Him. "And this is what love means, that we go on walking according to His commandments." (2 John V.6). In fact, we are further instructed by the apostle John: "Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God." With reference to such persons John goes on to say, "never receive him into your homes, or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works." (V.9-11). To attempt to show love or affection outside the commandments of God is a sin. An example to illustrate the point: Whether or not he had grounds, a man who leaves his wife and lives as an affectionate 'husband' with another woman and has sexual relations with her while his wife is still alive, is guilty of adultery. He is living in contravention of the Will of God. (See Rom 7:1-3). While a Christian may make known to him his sin, he cannot associate with him further until he stops sinning and obeys the Will of God. (1 John 3:10) (1 Cor 5:11. Eph 5:5. Heb 12:5,6). No one can be said to be showing true love while at the same time living outside the boundaries set by the commandments of God made known through His faithful servants. Acquiring knowledge of, and responding to, the spiritual needs of another by the righteous application of the Word of God is showing true love; just as Christ responded to the apostle Paul's spiritual needs. Christ first showed Paul love by blinding him to bring him to his senses, and after restoring his sight giving him the spiritual insight necessary to become his apostle to the nations. (Rom 11:13). Christ knew Paul's weaknesses and spiritual needs and was thus able to show him true love, whereas to Paul the many aspects of Christian love were still an "obscure expression": "We are looking for right now through mirror in obscure expression, then but face toward face; right now I am knowing out of part, then but I shall know accurately according as also I was accurately known." (1 Cor 13:12 Greek T.) One must therefore come to know accurately a person's spiritual needs according to the Will of God before one can begin to show them true love. A person does not become a true Christian or a loving neighbour merely by desire, nor by expressions of affection, but becomes such through Spirit disciplines from God, obedience to His written Word, and making the necessary spirit readjustments according to the requirements of faith. (Eph 4:12,13).
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