Lev 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. NKJV

This command given by God in the Old Testament to the children of Israel is referred to again in Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; and James 2:18. When a lawyer asked Jesus “What is the great commandment of the law,” Jesus asked him what his understanding of the Old Testament was. When the lawyer repeated the idea of loving God first above everything else, and then loving your neighbor as yourself, Jesus commended him for his understanding. But the lawyer wished to “justify himself” and asked the great question, “Who is my neighbor?” With this, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, and showed that our neighbor is anyone in need (Luke 10:25-37). The main point of that parable is “Go and do likewise.”

Respect for one another begins and end with this precept. We value people based on the fact that they are created in the image of God; based on the fact that ALL are important in the sight of God and ALL need the salvation that can only be found in Jesus. Upon this precept of loving our neighbor as ourselves is the concept of the “Golden Rule,” “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “ (Matthew 7:12).

Our world has moved away from these simple, yet timeless precepts. In America we do not have time for one another – we value people only as we think they can help us – we are impatient with those who are slower than we are – we are irritated with those who infringe on what we want and desire, and we have lost respect for human beings. I am convinced that one reason is simply because we have been told that we have evolved from apes, and we are nothing more than animals. If we honestly believe this, then we will act like animals, which are always looking out for themselves. (Indeed, sometimes animals act better than humans). Another reason is that we claim we do not have time for anyone but ourselves and our family. But is this a real reason, or a convenient excuse? Do we allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in what the world dictates that we should do that we don’t have time for others?

Sadly, sometimes, we have allowed the secular, evolutionistic worldview to affect the way we treat one another in the church. We don’t have time for one another in the church, and we become disconnected from one another. The fellowship that God demands that we have in the church is not all that it can be because we are more concerned about getting our needs met, and not helping our brothers and sisters in their needs. We grow upset when someone disagrees with our opinions, as that shows disrespect for us and our views. We bear a grudge, or carry a chip on our shoulder and dare some brother or sister to knock it off. And it often happens, without the offending brother even realizing it!

My brothers and sisters, we must submit to the Biblical worldview that is becoming increasingly distant from what we see in the world today. God commands us to love one another as ourselves. That involves us seeking for the good of others – indeed, what we want others to do for us, we MUST do for them. As Christians we must love one another as Jesus loves us (John 13:34-35). This means that I must grow in love for you so that I am willing to give my life for you (1 John 3:16). And if I am to love you that much, then I must respect you as a person. I must see you as having a soul that is made in God’s image! I must show you the respect that I would like for others to show me. I must consider you as I worship, and as I serve my Lord. I must consider you and encourage you to be the best you can be for the Lord. I must think about you when I think about what I would like, and realize that you may not like what I like, but this will not affect my love for you, nor my relationship with you. I must realize that I may disagree with you and what you do, but I still must love you and look out for your good. Only by doing this can I love my neighbor as myself.

May we truly respect one another by loving one another as ourselves.

“We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience – we are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience.” (unknown)
Shalom, Tommy