Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

John 15:17 "I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

How does one command love? Moreover, how do we make someone love us, and can it still be love? Will, there's only two ways a person can go; one is by a fleshly mind under laws of sin, which is happy to make people love them, or a religion, or there is God's love given freely. When God's love is given freely, it is a pure and holy sacrifice acceptable to God. Whereas, fleshly minded works of law love is an obligation given for a reward of doing some good work for God.

Rom.13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Perhaps, the word commandments here has lost its real meaning over two thousand's years of fleshly minded men under the illusion a person could command someone too love them? Moreover, its certainly not the context of Christ Jesus love for his own body, or how a man is to love his wife. The context of this part of John's letter is about remaining in Christ as the true vine, something none of the apostles had yet become a part of, why?

Rom.13:9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet,"{TR adds "You shall not give false testimony,"}{Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19,21} and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."{Leviticus 19:18}
13:10 Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

Because it would require the Holy Spirit adoption of them into the vine or the body of Christ as son's of God. Furthermore, the law was still in effect over the apostles, and Christ, it was not yet completed by Christ righteous life. The commandment to love YHWH did not bring anyone to life, unless they accept Christ Jesus, but why? Because perfection was not through the law, it could not perfect that which could not be perfected, humans under sin.

Hebrews 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

Perfection comes from the law of love, under the new covenant in Christ Jesus, not the law pointing up that we are all sinners. Hence, one could not be perfected by commandments to love God, one would have to died too that old personality thinking becoming new person in Christ Jesus life, but how? By God giving us the earned merit of Christ Jesus life as a free gift of his love. Now those in Christ walk in love, because they walk in Spirit, which means in Christ, and what is the law of Christ Jesus body? Love!

Eph.5:28 Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.
5:29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly;
5:30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.
5:31 "For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh."{Genesis 2:24}
5:32 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. 5:33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Unfortunately, for most of the Jews whom made God's commandment to love God an obligation missed the gift of love from God in Christ Jesus. So too many Christian's obligate themselves, and others too a legal commandment to love God, and each others, only later to come to great disappointments. You see, my friend when tested by fire if love is only legal, a commandment, we blasphemy God good name, obligating God to remove our suffering, but God's love endure all things, believes all things and hopes all things, because God's love cannot fail us if its not based upon a legal commandment, but upon God's love given us freely in the life of Christ Jesus indwelling us.

James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

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