A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34)

The Apostle Peter along with other disciples discovered to their shame when they forsook their Lord in His moment of need that the love He taught them was infinitely superior to the world’s. They could not project their love sacrificially as Peter boasted he would. In his case, he even denied His Saviour in order to escape persecution.

The love Christ endorses is called agape in Greek. It is different from the sensual one the world celebrates every day. Agape is a self- surrendering love that seeks the good of others. It marks the Christian out as a distinct and consecrated follower of Christ who Himself lived what He preached and taught. Relationship among believers must be characterized by a devoted concern that sacrificially seeks to promote the highest good of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Yet, there is a caveat: in loving all Christians, even those who do not belong to our denomination, we must not compromise or surrender Bible-based doctrines of purity and holiness. We must not go for so-called ecumenical unity or oneness that leads to compromise and apostasy.

The love Jesus teaches is not a one-off affair which we celebrate once a year. It is that which we put on as a garment all the time and allow to influence our dealings with other people irrespective of their tribe, colour or culture.

We must remember, however, that loving others does not amount to dropping holiness, righteousness and other biblical truths. Instead, love for God and His word must always come first. That is the essence of agape love which God wants us to celebrate every day.


Loving others like Christ is a daily affair, not a showy yearly ritual.

by: Pastor W.F. Kumuyi