To Love Is to Shine

"Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." 1John 2:7-8

I want to look these verses in conjunction with one another, and then we’ll delve deep into verse eight. The first few times I read these verses, I will admit that I was thoroughly confused. In verse seven John says "I write no new commandment to you" then in verse eight, he says, "Again, a new commandment I write to you." How can a new commandment be an old commandment? And why in the world doesn’t he clarify which commandments he is writing? Then I realized that the whole book of John is centered on two commandments about love. What is the old commandment? How about the first of Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai: "You shall have no other gods before me." Deut 5:7…which is expounded upon in Deut 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God…" But, what is the new commandment? We find it in John 13 when Jesus is instructing his disciples at the last supper about what is to befall him in a few short hours. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you that you also love one another." John 13:34. That raises the question: how did Jesus love? He laid down his life; he sacrificed himself for us. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one that his, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." So, we see that John is relaying two principle commands to us in these two verses: "Love God and love each other." This is displayed in Matthew 22.

"When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadduceess, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, "Teacher which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these hang all the law and the prophets." Matt 22:34-40 Everything about the Law and everything the prophets spoke to Israel hinges on those two basic commandments. If we love the Lord, we will keep his commandments. If we love each other, we will keep His commandments and will require no correction from the prophets. If we love someone, we won’t steal from them or lie to them or kill them. If we love the Lord, we won’t take His name in vain or worship other gods. It is so basic: everything about this Christian Life comes down to Love—love for the Lord and love for one another. If we do not love, we do not know Christ.

Now, let’s focus on verse eight. It says, "Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." The commandment is true in Him. Why? Because Jesus commanded it! He gave us the command in John 13:34. Jesus is the true light, and He is shining. John 1:1-5 explains this, but let’s focus on verses four-five: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." We have life through and in Him, and that life causes us to shine with His light.

"Arise and shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1 Jesus is the true light, and the darkness is passing away because He shines in this world.
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matt 5:14-16 If we know Jesus as Savior, the Light abides in us, and we become bearers of that light. As bearers of Christ, we shine His Light into the dark world. The dark world does not understand the light in our hearts and in our lives…but they are drawn to it if it is pure in us. And we have the opportunity shine His light into their dark hearts.

Friends, If we keep these two commands: "Love the Lord" and "Love your neighbor", we will abide in the light. So we see that the old law perpetuates the light that is in us. To abide in His light is to Love Him. To love Him is to keep his commandments. If we love, we will shine in the darkness. If we do not love we will hide in the darkness. Will you shine, friends, or will you hide?