17-09-2023 The Secret To ‘Loving Neighbour as Yourself’

Title: The Secret To ‘Loving Neighbour as Yourself’

In Mat 22:34-40, Jesus says that the central idea of all laws and the Ten Commandments is, first, ‘Love the Lord your God,’ and second, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ However, this is not just the central idea of the Word and the central idea of Christianity. In other words, anyone who believes in Jesus and God must do these two things.

The secret to ‘loving your neighbour as yourself’ is ‘not lying.’ 1 Jhn 4:20 says that if you say you love God, but hate your brother, you are a liar. Of course, this verse does not make the equation that hating your brother is a lie, but when you look at the content, aren’t we all lovers of God? So, when we hate our brothers, we become liars. Also, Eph 4:25 says that in order for us to be members of one another and become one, we must put away lies and speak the truth.

What is it that creates a relationship between God and humans? It is the Word of God. When we talk about a covenant, isn’t a promise made through words a covenant? Therefore, the Word of God becomes a medium that connects God and us. What is it that creates relationship between people? It is also the Word. That is why, in order to love your neighbours, you must not lie. Lying first kills oneself. Second, it kills the neighbour.

So, what are the things defined as lies in the Bible?

• Slandering- Diabolos (1 Tim 3:11)

The origin of this word, ‘diaballo’, means slander, and it means ‘An act of damaging someone’s reputation or status by slandering them with groundless words’, or ‘the act of damaging someone’s reputation by saying bad things about them’.

By the way, this word ‘diabolos’ is a word that means devil. In other words, slander is an act of the devil, and it shows that the person doing the slander is the devil.

• Slandering-Blaphemeo (Rom 3:8)

‘Blasphemeo’ means slander against God or against the man of God.

• Slandering-Katalalia (2 Cor 12:20)

‘Katalalia’ means ‘dog bites from behind’ means dogs which do not make any sound when a person passes forward and when a person passed by, they run up from behind and bite. Such behavoir is Katalalia (Psalm 12:2).

Lying includes not only to tell untruth and false testimony, but also slander, gossip and belittling people. So, why do people lie?

• Because they do not want to keep God in their hearts (Rom 1;28-31). Nobody among us will say ‘I don’t want to receive grace’ or ‘I don’t want to receive the Word of God.’ However, when you understand the Word of God, it becomes a burden on your heart. So, you do not want put God in your heart (Psalm 119:105; Isa 40:8).

The Word is eternal. If we have any desire for eternity, I pray in the name of the Lord that you and I will long for the eternal Word, listen even when we don’t want to hear it, and obey it even when we don’t want to obey it.

• Greed and fear (Jms 1:15; 1 jhn 4:18)

You lie to satisfy your own desires. Or because you don’t want to get disadvantage that you try to live first to defend you. Also, fear is a lie. God is in control of everything, and He will fulfill His promise. But along the way, when you feel that God doesn’t seem like fulfilling His promise, that’s the moment fear arises. However, there is one thing that God cannot do, and that is to tell a lie. So, if we understand and believe that God cannot tell us a lie and all His promises will come true, we shouldn’t have any fear. It is said that God’s love overcomes fear. Those who love God must have no fear. Why? Because it will come true just as God said.

• Boasting, vanity (Psalm 10:3; Psalm 12:3)

When we try to boast about what I have, when we try to exaggerate it, we end up lying. If there is one thing we should boast about, it is Jesus Christ, the Word of God.

I believe that when we go forward boasting only in Jesus Christ and the Word of God, lies will disappear from our mouths and hearts, and only honesty will remain, allowing us to truly love our neighbors (Psa 44:8)

Conclusion:

Owe nothing to anyone except the light of love for one another (Romans 13:8-10). Here, ‘neighbors; is ‘Rabah’, which is a word meaning close friend. I am not saying to love people who are far away or people you don’t know, but to love people who are close to you and who are like friends.

It is said that when we truly love like that, the law is fulfilled. We must care for and help each other. If you hate someone in your heart, Satan will work. When we meet each other, we must know how to treat each other as if we were meeting a lover. I believe that when that happens, there will be a victory for this church.