MODULE 16: THE NEW TESTAMENT WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR HUMAN ENEMIES BY EVANGELIST OGHOGHOR IKPONMWOSA (PHD)

In the previous module, we looked at some scriptures where Apostle Paul re-echoed the love doctrine that Jesus taught His disciples. In this module we shall look at scriptures where Apostle John re-echoed what Jesus said.

Apostle John spoke so much about love that it will not be out of place to call Him the Apostle of LOVE. He gave us a detailed record of where Jesus gave love as His commandment in the gospel he wrote. His other books (1John, 2John and 3John) spoke volumes on the subject of love. Let us look at some of the things he said.
 
1 John 2:4-6

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
KJV

 In this scripture Apostle John tells us that to say we know God but are not keeping His commandment makes us a liar. He said that anyone who keeps God’s word does so because in that person the love of God has been perfected.

In other words a man who has God’s love perfected in Him is the one who can keep God’s word. Remember that love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10). Love helps us keep God’s word.
Apostle John then proceeded to tell us that the proof that we are abiding in Christ is as we walk in love which empowers us to keep God’s word. He was simply re-echoing what Jesus earlier taught in John 15:1-12.

He said we know we are abiding in Christ because we are walking in Love expressed in our ability to keep His word.

LOVE must be really important for Apostle John to talk about it this way. Let us see another scripture where He talked about love.

1 John 2:8-11

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
KJV

In this scripture Apostle John talks about a new commandment and then proceeded to tell us what He was talking about. He was talking about LOVE.

If I love my brother I am in the light  and there is no occasion of stumbling in me but if I hate my brother I am in darkness and I don’t know where I am going.

Remember that at salvation we were delivered from the kingdom or domain of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s son or the Kingdom of light (Col 1:13, Matthew 4:16, John 1:4-5, 2:19-21, 12:35-36, 12:46, Eph. 5:8-11, 1John 1:5-7).

In 1John 2:8-11 Apostle John was actually saying that if we fail to walk in love we are plunged back into darkness from where we were initially delivered when we got saved.

This is really a serious warning that we should not ignore or treat lightly! LOVE must indeed be very important. We shall look at more things Apostle John said about love in the next module.
To be continued…

EVANGELIST OGHOGHO IKPONMWOSA (PHD)
PRESIDENT: SAVE THE LOST GOSPEL EVANGEVANGELISTIC MINISTRY
EMAIL: oghoghoik@gmail.com

TEL: +2348060676748