⁸ “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

“That the world might know that I love the Father,” is the ultimate fruit of our Christian lives (John 14:31). This is not a matter of verbally including a certain catch phrase in our witnessing, “Did you know that Jesus loves His heavenly Father?” Rather, it means that we ultimately lead people to the Trinitarian love that is perfectly expressed between the three persons of the Godhead, in particular as seen in Jesus’ love for His Father. That love is what emanates out in Jesus’ obedience in going to the cross (Heb 5:8), for in that act He demonstrated His love for God (see John 14:31 again). And it is that love that motivated Christ to die for us (John 3:16). And finally, it is that love with which we respond: “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Is it any wonder that Jesus spoke of the two greatest commandments as loving God and loving your neighbor (Matt 22:37-40)?

So how do we Christ-followers show that Trinitarian kind of love to each other and thereby glorify God to others? Looking at it on the negative side, church conflict, speaking ill of other churches or denominations or even lack of working together do not enhance God’s reputation. Divorcing Christians communicate to the world that Christian love is really not all that exceptional. God-glorifying love is more than a good feeling when singing love songs to God. Rather, love that enhances God’s reputation is a sacrificial love that emulates Jesus’ love for the Father, as monumentally exhibited in His obeying the Father in going to the cross.

So the world needs to see that Christians do indeed love each other; that’s the first step in learning about God’s love. Some quickly offer judgmental sarcasm, saying that “other” Christians are so hard to love, as though the problem was inherently a Christian problem. Yes, because Christians are fallen humans, and because we ourselves (as in me and you reading this) are inherently sinful, love is difficult! Just as it is in the workplace when our associates or colleagues backstab, gossip, hold bitterness, act in pride or are easily offended, so these human fallibilities are exhibited in the church. Rather than justifying our criticism of fellow Christians on the premise that they should know better, we need to love others despite their human failings, recognizing that we should know better, despite our human fallibilities. Who comes to your mind?

Lord, help me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, just as You love me.