WHAT DO THE WORDS “AS YOURSELF” MEAN FOR BELIEVERS

IF YOU LOVE GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE BEING AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, YOU ARE A SELF-GIVING LIVING SACRIFICE!

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF INVOLVES COMPASSION AND MERCY, WHICH ARE QUALITIES OF GOD. TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF IS TO BECOME LIKE GOD IN HIS COMPASSION.

THE WHOLE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE COMMAND, “YOUR SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

JAMES 2:8: IF YOU REALLY KEEP THE ROYAL LAW FOUND IN THE SCRIPTURES, “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF” YOU ARE DOING RIGHT.

EVERYONE IS EQUAL UNDER THE ROYAL LAW OF LOVE.

THE ROYAL LAW OF LOVE MEANS WE TREAT OUR NEIGHBOR AS IF, HE OR SHE WERE, YOURSELF.

NOTICE: THE WORDS “AS YOURSELF” MEAN THE END OF MYSELF. THERE IS NO MORE “ME” WHEN THAT “ME” HAS BECOME “YOU”. TO TEAR DOWN THE BARRIERS BETWEEN MYSELF AND SOMEONE ELSE, I MUST BE WILLING TO DIE TO SELF.

THE LOVE OF NEIGHBOR MEANS THE DEATH OF THE SELF, THE TOTAL DENIAL OF THE SELF.

TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF HAS NO LIMITS AND REQUIRES TOTAL SELF DENIAL. THIS IS RELATED TO JESUS’ TEACHING ABOUT TAKING UP THE CROSS AND DENYING ONESELF.

TO LOVE “AS YOURSELF” MEANS TO LOVE MORE THAN MYSELF. THE TERM “AS YOURSELF” IS NOT AN EQUAL SIGN BUT A GREATER-THAN SIGN, IN THAT YOUR REGARD THE OTHER PERSON’S WELFARE AS BEING MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR OWN.

NOTE: WE LOVE OURSELVES WITH ALL OUR HEARTS, ALL OUR BEING AND ALL OUR STRENGTH.

NOW IN ORDER TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL OF OUR MIND, ALL OUR BEING, AND ALL OUR STRENGTH; AND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES MEANS WE HAVE TO DIE TO SELF; NO LONGER ACTING WITH SELF LOVE AS OUR GUIDE, BUT LOVING GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOR MORE THAT WE LOVE SELF.

IT IS HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO LOVE THEIR NEIGHBOR AS THEMSELVES. WE NEED GOD’S TRANSFORMING POWER TO ENABLES US TO FULFILL HIS COMMAND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES. TRUE AND SELF-GIVING LOVE REQUIRES GOD’S GRACE.

WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT ANY ACTION THAT DOES NOT STEM FROM LOVE KILLS. THIS MEANS WE ARE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING OR DO ANYTHING THAT IS NOT OF LOVE!

TO HAVE A CLEAR ASSURANCE OF SALVATION IS TO OBEY THE COMMAND TO LOVE OTHERS AT ALL TIMES. A NEIGHBOR IS SOMEONE WHO IS IN NEED OF LOVE AND CARE. IT IS A LOVE BASED ON PRACTICAL REALITY.

WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO LOVE AS GOD COMMANDS US TO DO AS EMPOWERED TO BE ABLE TO DO SO BY GOD’S INDWELLING SPIRIT IN US.

NOTE: GOD IS NOW CREATING A NEW COMMUNITY MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BECOME NEW CREATIONS ATTACHED TO THE LORD JESUS WHO IS THE BEGINNING OF GOD’S NEW CREATION, THUS ENABLING THAT NEW COMMUNITY TO LIVE BY THE NEW COVENANT AS A PEOPLE BONDED TOGETHER BY A COVENANT OF LOVE. WE ARE ENABLED TO DO THIS AS BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT OF YEHOVAH AND OF HIS UNIQUELY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE RULE IN MY LIFE; GOD OR SELF!

WORDS OF THIS ARTICLE ARE FROM ERIC CHANG'S BOOK, "TOTALLY COMMITTED" AND EDITED BY BRUCE LYON.