Bear, endure one another's burdens and in this way fulfil and observe perfectly the law of Christ and complete what is lacking in your obedience to it. Galatians 6:2

If we do all the right things without the foundation of love, we're wasting our time and effort. (1 Corinthians 12:3) If our love is merely words with NO corresponding actions, it is a false, worldly, shallow love. Love is not simply saying "I love you" (especially if what we really mean is "I LIKE you") but God's love is much more than just words, it is practical and will SHOW itself through actions. Loving one another is very important in God's eyes. When Jesus spoke of separating the sheep from the goats, He separated them based on how they had treated Him, through His brothers, when they were hungry, sick, in prison etc. (Matthew 25:31-46) God's love in us will be evidenced by our deep caring and practical love for one another. Loving one another is the faultless law of liberty which we DO!

If anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his natural face in a mirror; for he thoughtfully observes himself and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the law of LIBERTY, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer who obeys, he shall be blessed in his doing. James 1:23-25

God's Love in and through us is self-sacrificing and self-giving and not dependent or reliant upon the recipient of that love. The natural, worldly way of love is all centered around SELF and effectively keeps us in bondage to self! It is natural to not want to love others; it is supernatural to love and be transparent in spite of how we may risk being hurt, rejected or abused by others. To carry on loving and giving regardless of how we personally are affected deals death blows to self. Self WANTS to be protected! It doesn't want to be hurt so it creates barriers, walls, excuses and defences. We must carry on being open and approachable with brothers and sisters with the full understanding that we will more than likely be hurt by one another sometimes; but these are OPPORTUNITIES to die to self and to have MORE of Christ as Love flowing through us! And THAT is freedom!

It is freedom because when we love with His Love in and through us, we don't have to be concerned (or fear) whether that love is returned or rejected, we will still love regardless! There is no fear in love! This love is independent of the recipient's response. And should it be rejected, it won't bring death to that love. Selfish, natural love may die, God's supernatural love in us lives! This love and unity must be built into our lives through Christ who is building His Ekklesia. The only Source of this divine love is God. God IS love. He imparts His love to us through Christ His Son Who lives in us.

Jesus, although He is Love personified, was undoubtedly closer to and more intimate with His disciples than with the Pharisees! He was closest to John out of all the disciples, John was referred to as His beloved disciple. He knew who to open Himself to, and who not to. John was the only disciple that was there with Him when He hung on the cross.

Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all men; and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in human nature, He could read men's hearts. John 2:24,25

We must allow Wisdom to guide us in who we unite ourselves with, although this doesn't mean we become aloof or unapproachable to people. Jesus was still approachable, He had nothing to hide, He was very clear about who He was and shared His life with others. This is evidenced by the fact that women and even children were not intimidated by or afraid of Him. This was in a society where women were NOT treated as equals but were heavily discriminated against, and yet Jesus broke their cultural traditions and rules about not speaking to women again and again; He spoke to them and loved them. He knew the truth which Paul later wrote to the Galatians: There is now NO distinction, neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 These were radical, mindset-breaking words for a society in which women were considered so inferior to men. Whether we are a brother or a sister is totally irrelevant in God's eyes, we are all one in Christ! Paul had women who were associated with him (Acts 16:13-15, 17:4 Philippians 4:3) and Jesus had women who went with Him and His disciples and ministered to Him also (Mark 15:40,41 Luke 8:1-3, John 12:3).

Human love thrives and survives on being loved in return, it is dependent upon man (hence dependency types of relationships) and will cling to what it loves and will hold on tight, not wanting to let it go. But God's love is the opposite to human love which wants to receive, God's Love gives itself away and loves regardless of response because it is independent of man, and solely dependent upon the Source of true love; God Himself! It does not hold onto any person because no person is the source or fulfilment of love, God is. This is liberty and freedom!

As God's children we too often simply give lip-service to things we know we should be or do without the corresponding reality or action being true in our lives. Jesus had a word for this: hypocrisy. If we look in the mirror of God's Word and walk away unchanged and unrepentant, we deceive ourselves. We ARE the Body of Christ, we ARE the Bride of Christ, we ARE members of God's family, we ARE the temple of the Holy Spirit, we ARE dwellings in the City of God. These are earthly pictures which convey different facets of the reality in the heavenly, spiritual realm, they are real and ought to be real in our lives. If we say we are the Body of Christ and yet have no sympathy or appreciation for other parts of the Body, we are a hypocrite. If we say we are children of God and yet do not show love or concern as we would for genuine brothers and sisters in our family, we are a hypocrite. If anyone says, I love God, and hates and detests his brother in Christ, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. And this command we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother (believer) also. 1 John 4:20,21

You cannot have genuine unity and oneness in the Body without genuine loving, sharing and caring! Judging from the way the apostles wrote it is clear that they genuinely loved their brothers and sisters: Since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a little while in person, of course not in heart, we endeavoured the more eagerly and with great longing to see you face to face. Therefore, when the suspense of separation and our yearning for some personal communication from you became intolerable, we consented to being left behind... and we sent Timothy...but now that Timothy has just come back to us from you and has brought us the good news of...the warmth of your love, and reported how kindly you cherish a constant and affectionate remembrance of us and that you are longing to see us as we are to see you. And we continue to pray especially and with most intense earnestness night and day that we may see you face to face 1 Thessalonians 2:17 3:1,6

My brethren, whom I love and yearn to see, my delight and crown, thus stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. Philippians 4:1

For I have derived great joy and comfort and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been cheered and refreshed through you, my brother. Philemon 7

To the elect, chosen lady (Cyria) and her children, whom I truly love...And now I beg you, lady, not as if I were issuing a new charge, but simply recalling to your mind the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. I have many things to write to you, but I prefer not to do so with paper and ink; I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 2 John 1,5,12

For if I cause you pain, who is there to provide me enjoyment but the very one whom I have grieved and made sad? For I wrote you out of great sorrow and deep distress of heart, yes, and with many tears, not to cause you pain but in order to make you realize the overflowing love that I continue increasingly to have for you. 2 Cor 2:2,4

This kind of deep loving and caring is something that is almost foreign to our lives as believers today. Our mindsets find it strange, foreign and even threatening to talk of being joined and united as one with other believers, being knit together in love and being united in spirit and yet this was NORMAL for the early Christians! And in believers since then it has continued to be lived out. Here is an excerpt written in the seventeenth century:

"We are now separated. I am in this prison, she is in another, but we are still united in spirit. The walls of a prison may confine the body, but they cannot hinder the union of souls. It is the love of Christ that unites us. I just say that she was an instrument in the hands of God to bring me to a knowledge of Himself - that God whom I now love and shall love forever. She taught me the great lesson of self-denial, of dying to the life of nature, of living only to the will of God. So do not wonder that I love her, because she and I love the same God. This love has the power of uniting our hearts in a way I cannot express; but it seems to me that it is the beginning of that union which we shall have in Heaven, where the love of God will unite us all in Him."

Written by a servant of Madame Jeanne Guyon (page 182, "Madame Guyon Martyr of the Holy Spirit" by Phyllis Thompson)

So why are we not open, transparent and loving to each other, what are we afraid of? Being hurt or rejected perhaps. When a person has been hurt in a relationship, they feel that their love and trust has been abused. This will often make someone cautious and careful in all relationships. But what is the motivation for being so careful? Not to get hurt again; protecting SELF and effectively being in bondage to self by not letting yourself be free to love! It is natural to not want to love or to allow others to get close to you; it is supernatural to love and be transparent in spite of how we may have been hurt or abused by others.

To carry on loving and giving regardless deals death blows to self. Self WANTS to be protected! It doesn't want to be hurt so it creates barriers, walls, excuses and defences. We must carry on being open and approachable with brothers and sisters with the full understanding that we will more than likely be hurt by one another sometimes; but these are OPPORTUNITIES to die to self and to have MORE of His love flowing through us! And THAT is freedom! It is freedom because this love is independent of the recipient's response. And should it be rejected, it won't bring death to that love. Selfish, natural love may die, God's supernatural love in us lives! Paul wrote: I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. 2 Corinthians 12:15 (NKJV)

Both Jesus and John said that real love is to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. GIVING yourself away! There is such freedom in loving others His way, self is forgotten about and laid to rest and Christ loves and lives in its place! This is no burden, it is all JOY because we are loving and obeying HIM by loving each other. I have loved you, just as the Father has loved Me; abide (continue) in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love. I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. This is My commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you. John 15:9-12

This is what is referred to as the "Law of liberty", the law of the Spirit of Life in the New Testament. The law of Moses was a law of bondage and death; but the law of Christ is a law that brings liberty and life as we fulfil His desire through loving one another as He loves us!

When we don't just know about His love in our heads but have His love flowing through our hearts, it HAS to change us! It is significant that the disciple whom Jesus loved most (John), is also the one who has written the most about loving others, in both his gospel and epistles. The love of God is not given to keep and store and enjoy for ourselves, it is to be poured out through our lives and given to others through us that the WORLD may see our love for each other and see Him who lives and loves through us.

So by whatever appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever strengthening and encouraging our relationship in Him affords, by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the Holy Spirit we share, and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. Philippians 2:1,2