Love Is Obeying God’s Commandments – 2 John
‘And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.’ — 2 John 6
Love is probably the most confusing and convoluted concept there is. Love is described in a thousand different ways. As a result, Christ’s instruction that we love one another can mean many things to many different people. So, what does it mean to love one another?
In 2 John, love is defined as walking after God’s commandments. The way that we love one another according to God’s standards is to live (‘walk’) in a way that is in obedience to the commands of God.
This means that the most loving thing I can do for any person is love and obey God. As I obey Him, I will be the best friend, brother, Christian I can be for others. Things like honestly, loyalty, forgiveness, patience, kindness, and meekness are all things that show love to others.
The great thing about defining Christian love as obeying God’s commands is it clarifies love and keeps it from being so subjective. There is a clear standard of what love is. Love is not what I feel or what I think; love is what God’s Word says.
May God help us to walk in truth and love and see that we really cannot have one without the other.