Day 15 :: The Upper Room

John 13:31-35

A Symbol of Significance

January 30, 2015

Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young Adults

Symbols have been used for thousands of years as a visible sign to point those who see it to a thought, idea, message, or agenda. One of the purposes of the Church is that the people of God would serve as a symbol of sorts, representing God and His message of salvation through Christ for the world to see. In John 13 we see this picture as Jesus says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” According to Jesus, the way Christians treat other Christians is actually to be our identifying mark as Christ-followers.

One of the reasons that this love for one another is so distinct is that genuine love is an uncommon way for people to treat one another. As we’ve seen throughout this week, to truly love another person requires us to seek the best for others no matter the cost to us. This message of sacrifice is the antithesis of the world’s motto. Would you be willing to pause today and ask these simple questions: “Is my love for other Christians distinct? Is my love for other Christians obvious? Is my love for other Christians selfless, sacrificial, and convincing?” The Bible doesn’t say that the world will know us by an emblem on our car, a necklace, or even our buildings. The Bible says that the world will know us by our love for one another. 

TWEET THIS: The Bible doesn’t say the world will know us by an emblem, a building, or clothes; but instead by our love for one another. Jn. 13:35 #UpperRoom

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES: Philippians 2:3-4

Day 14 :: The Upper Room

John 13:31-35

An Image of Unity

January 29, 2015

Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young Adults

I’ve always been a visual learner. Let me see it and then I’ll get it. Several times in my life I’ve overlooked good concepts because there was nothing to show me that they were actually good. When it comes to the Body of Christ loving one another, the good news is that God has given us a remarkable picture: the Trinity. In John 17, the gospel writer provides wonderful insight into this most wonderful portrait of unity. Jesus, in his high priestly prayer, speaks of the mutual benefit between the Father and the Son. He celebrates their likeness as well as their distinctly different roles. Jesus also speaks to the eventual multiplied benefit that comes from their unity.

In our love for one another we have the opportunity to illustrate these things to the world as they have been illustrated us. We have a unique opportunity in the Body of Christ to seek to benefit one another; this is the very reason the Bible says that we have been given spiritual gifts! The Church also has been given the call to celebrate our common faith while recognizing and rejoicing in our distinct differences and the diverse opportunities that those bring. As we join in illustrating this unity we certainly have benefit that multiplies beyond our walls and beyond what our individual efforts could ever accomplish. May we learn our unity from the best image imaginable, and may we illustrate for the rest of the world a unified God-head that “they may know Your name.”

TWEET THIS: The greatest image of the Church’s unity is found in the Trinity. #UpperRoom

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Day 13 :: The Upper Room

John 13:31-35

Love is Sacrifice, Not Tolerance

January 28, 2015

Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young Adults

The word love is often overused in our culture, and likely that is because it is misunderstood. Love is sometimes thought to be demonstrating interest in something, kindness, or simply not being too hateful. The Bible says love is much more than that and goes much deeper than that. 

1 Corinthians 13 teaches us that who we are and what we do are of no value without love. Paul also takes the opportunity to unpack a picture of precisely what this love is. True love seeks the God-honoring best of others, no matter what the cost for myself. True love doesn’t require someone earn my affection, but requires me to surrender my own affection. True love is best understood as sacrifice, not tolerance.

The last time you said or thought, “I love _____,” what did you mean? Did you mean to say, “I’m interested in you” or did you mean to say, “I’m willing to seek your best no matter what it costs me.” According to Paul, if this type of love is neither our motivation nor our practice, we are nothing and what we do amounts to nothing. Therefore if we desire to have meaning and significance in our lives, let us love one another.

TWEET THIS: Love is sacrifice, not tolerance. #UpperRoom

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Day 12 :: The Upper Room

John 13:31-35

Loving Imperfect People

January 27, 2015

Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young Adults

Have you ever met a perfect person? Neither have I. It is the dilemma of all mankind, the sickness of sin and the nature of our fallen state. Whether we look to our neighbor or look in the mirror, we see a person deeply affected by the pervasive problem of sin that the Bible teaches is passed from generation to generation, in the blood of all people, originating in Adam and Eve. This makes loving one another very hard.

As was established in yesterday’s devotion, we begin by understanding God’s love for us. Once grounded in that Truth we must admit the reality of our own struggle with sin and recall God’s gracious and active love for us in spite of our sin. It is remarkably difficult to love an imperfect person when we have too high a view of ourselves. It has been said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, and that is precisely the place we must meet one another. When Jesus says that we ought to deal with the ‘log in our own eye’ first, he isn’t suggesting becoming perfect before initiating the difficult conversation confronting someone walking in sin. Rather, Jesus is saying that we must humbly see our own sin and pursue the restoration of others in light of the grace that God has extended to us. As painfully difficult as it is, to love someone regardless of their imperfections requires that we first see our own imperfections.

TWEET THIS: Loving someone regardless of their imperfections requires I first see my own imperfections. #UpperRoom

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES: Matthew 7:3

Day 11 :: The Upper Room

John 13:31-35

Motivated by the Love of God

January 26, 2015

Steven Ackley, Associate Pastor | College & Young Adults

Everything we do is motivated by something. When it comes to loving one another, it is vitally important that we ask the question “why?” How we answer that question will likely indicate what we believe about the love of God. Do I love other Christians out of obligation, to manage their image of me, to get something from them, or even to ‘spite’ them? These types of motivation indicate a misunderstanding of God’s love for us. 

Instead, what if we loved because He (God) first loved us? What if our motivation was the truth that God loves us, the sacrificial love He has shown us, and the display of that love being the same for all Christians in all places? This type of motivation would indicate that we understand what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 13 when he unpacked the selfless, gracious, abiding love that we ought to see in Christ and display in our lives.

The Bible says that the only right motivation for loving other Christians is the love of God itself. So, as you consider the call this week to love one another don’t only ask, “do I?” but also ask, “why?”

TWEET THIS: There is a direct relationship between our love for one another and our understanding of God’s love for us. #UpperRoom

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES: 1 John 4:19