This Command

1 John 4:21-5:4 - And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

John 13:34 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 3:14-15 - Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 14:15 - "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Conclusions:

• In a sense, love one another was an old command, but for Christ’s disciples it was new, because it was the mark of their brotherhood, created by Christ’s great love for them
• Our standard is Christ’s love for us
• Eternal life is an infinitely high quality of life in living fellowship with God—both now and forever
• His commands are not burdensome, not because the commands themselves are light or easy to obey, but because of the new birth
• The one born of God by faith is enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey
• Love, like faith, cannot be separated from obedience
• To overcome the world is to gain victory over its sinful pattern of life, which is another way of describing obedience to God
• Such obedience is not impossible for the believer because he has been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within him and gives him strength
• John speaks of two aspects of victory: (1) the initial victory of turning in faith from the world to God; (2) the continuing day-to-day victory of Christian living

Application:

• Is your standard Christ's love for you?
• Do you believe in Him?
• Are you born of God by Faith? Are you enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey?
• Do you obey Jesus commands?
• Have you been born again? Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you? Does the Holy Spirit give you strength?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible