There are two things that Christians are called to do in the New Testament: love God and love others. The second commandment is found in Matthew 22:37-40 and Jesus says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” So if Christians are called to love God and love others, why is it that we find it so difficult to follow the “one another” commands in the New Testament?
The “One Another” Commands Of The New Testament
The “One Another” commands of the New Testament are a set of commands that believers are to follow in order to love one another. These commands are found throughout the New Testament and include such things as “encouraging one another”, “bearing with one another”, and “praying for one another”.
While these commands may seem simple, they can be difficult to follow at times. This is because we live in a fallen world and our sinful nature can get in the way of our ability to love others as we should. However, by depending on God’s strength and grace, we can overcome these challenges and obey the “One Another” commands.
Some specific ways we can follow the “One Another” commands include: encouraging each other through words and actions, being patient with each other, forgiving each other, praying for each other, and serving one another. When we take the time to do these things, it shows that we truly care about others and want to see them grow in their faith.
Why Do Christians Find It So Difficult To Follow These Commands?
There are a number of reasons why Christians find it difficult to follow the “one another” commands in the New Testament. First, these commands are often seen as optional, when in fact they are not. Second, we live in a culture that is individualistic and self-centered, and these commands go against that grain. Third, following these commands requires humility and a willingness to serve others, which can be hard for us. Finally, we often don’t have close relationships with other Christians, which makes it more difficult to follow these commands.
Possible Solutions to This Problem
There are a few possible solutions to this problem. First, we need to better understand what the “one another” commands are actually telling us to do. Second, we need to be more intentional about following these commands in our daily lives. Third, we need to create community within our churches where we can support and encourage one another in living out these commands.
The “one another” commands are found throughout the New Testament and they tell us to love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, etc. These commands are not optional – they are commands from God that we are to obey.
One way to better understand these commands is to study them in context. What does it mean to love one another? What does it mean to serve one another? When we study these commands in Scripture, we can begin to get a clearer understanding of what they actually mean and how we are supposed to put them into practice in our lives.
Another way to help solve this problem is to be more intentional about following the “one another” commands. We need to make a conscious effort to love others, serve others, encourage others, etc. This means that we have to take the time and energy to actually do these things – it’s not enough just to say that we will do them.
Finally, we need community within our churches where we can support and encourage one another in living out these commands
Conclusion
There are a number of reasons why Christians find it difficult to follow the “one another” commands in the New Testament. Some of these reasons include the individualistic nature of our society, the lack of close relationships within the church, and our own human frailty. However, despite these challenges, it is still possible to follow these commands by making a deliberate effort to build close relationships with other Christians and by putting others before ourselves.
