FULFILLING THE DUTY OF LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR
PART 1

Leviticus 19:18
"You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am Jehovah."

Christ declared this to be the second great commandment of the law.

A neighbor means:
1. Any person who lives near to us.
2. Any person with whom we have dealings.
3. A friend, relative, countryman or enemy.

Matthew 5:43-45
"You have heard that it was said, '"You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."'
But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven."

Who is our neighbor?
Any person who does us good or confers a favor on us.

Luke 10:27-37
(Parable of the Good Samaritan)

Vrs.36-37
"Then which of these three, do you think, was neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?
And he said, the one doing the deed of mercy to him. And Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise."

1. We should not injure our neighbor in his person, property, or character.
2. We should not be selfish, but should seek to do him good.
3. In a case of debt, difference, or debate, we should do what is right, regarding his interest as much as our own.
4. We should treat his character, property, etc., as we do our own, according to what is right.
5. In order to benefit him, we should practice self-denial, or do as we would wish him to do to us.

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore all things, whatever you desire that men should do to you, do even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets."

It is important to have happiness in yourself and it is right for every man to seek happiness.

1 John 3:10
"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother".

Question:
How can you tell the difference between God's children and the Devil's children?
The one who won't practice righteous ways isn't from God, nor is the one who won't love brother or sister.

1 John 4:20-21
"If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar.
For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also."

The degree in which we are to love our fellow-man is to love "as you love yourself", and this according to the strict observance of law.

Matthew 22:39-40
"And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Christ set before His followers a much higher example, than just to love his neighbor.
Go beyond your standard of living, for whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two.

John 13:34
"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another".

The character of our true discipleship to Jesus is to display love that God has given to you!
For God's love is the sum total of our spiritual responsibility toward our fellow-man.

Romans 13:8
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfillment of the law";

Romans 13:10
"For he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law".

So what does love to our neighbor look like?

12 CHARACTERISTS OF GOD'S LOVE TO OUR BROTHER

1. The qualities which should characterize the love which we are to manifest toward our fellow-men are set forth in 1 Коринфянам 13.

2. Our love should be "without hypocrisy".

Romans 12:9
"Let love be without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil, cleaving to good."

3. Love should not be a thing of mere word or tongue, but a real experience manifesting itself in deed and truth.

John 3:18
"My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

If love consisted in word only, then love ends as soon as the word is pronounced.