Please don’t let the haters of truth define what it means to “love one another” because they are pressing society to believe that love is equal to agreement with another’s sin and even celebration of another’s sin.

We can love a sinner and hate the sin. We can disagree and not be disagreeable. We can exist as neighbors in our society without violent reaction against opposition.

Jesus gave us an example of being in the world but not of the world and His life exemplified “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) as His love for one another was expressed through both compassion and conflict.

Below, I have bulleted five points from the Scriptures on love for one another with Bible references for further study…

• love for one-another is the ultimate witness of the Spirit-filled life and testimony to the true character of God (John 13:34-35)

• love for one-another is the supreme evidence of the Spirit-filled life, the fruit of the Spirit, the standard of relationships, and a gift from God (Galatians 5:33-23; 1 Corinthians 13; Romans 5:5; John 14:16-17),

• love for one-another can only be achieved through reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit that we may love as Jesus loved, live as Jesus lived, and lead as Jesus led (Zechariah 4:6; Matthew 22:37-39; John 16:7-11),

• love for one-another is evidence that God is love and His love seeks to promote the abundant life for, with, and in us who believes in Him, to give glory to Him, even as Satan seeks to counteract God’s love for us through deception, destruction, and death (John 10:10; 1 John 4:7-8; John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8-9),

• love for one-another is what Jesus exemplified, showing God’s power as transcending social, political, racial, economical, national, and cultural differences, with Spirit-led coexistence without harm, cooperation without judgment, and yet in obedience to His Father’s commands and advancement of God’s Kingdom here on earth (John 15:9-17; John 3:16; Mark 12:30-31; Ephesians 4:15).

• love for one-another is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not dishonoring, not self-seeking, not easily angered, not keeping records of wrong, nor delighting in evil, rejoicing with truth, protective, trusting, hopeful, and persevering.