Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Poet John Donne wrote the well known words, "No man is an island...." Donne intended to focus attention on the realities of community and human interconnectedness in death, but his words also apply to how we live and to the choices we make about right and wrong.

In 5:13, the Apostle Paul tells us: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.”

The freedom Paul refers to is the freedom of huiothesia--the freedom of a responsible "adopted" adult son or daughter of God. It is not a license to live any old way we please.

We reject legalism as a means of establishing or securing righteousness in God’s eyes, but we also reject license too. We reject any suggestion that since we are forgiven in Christ, it no longer matters how we live.

In the second half of Galatians 5:13, Paul tells us to use our freedom “to serve one another in love.” He goes on to explain: “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Think about “Love your neighbor as yourself” not only as a command, but also as a universal principle capable of managing the liberty we have in Christ. “Is it the loving thing to do?” is a capable ally in determining what courses of action we should or shouldn’t take. It is a capable ally in determining how we interact with popular culture. It is a capable ally in determining our priorities, our plans, and our specific choices about what to do in any situation—“Is it the loving thing to do?”

In our last study, I threw out two illustrations that I want to bring back up just now. The first was the issue of dressing modestly. I also talked about choosing whether or not to put away your shopping cart in the parking lot of the grocery store. Asking the question, “Is this the loving thing to do”, will help us to determine how best to use the liberty we have in Christ as we make decisions in relation to matters such as these. For example, Is leaving my shopping cart where it might hit and damage my neighbor's car--is that the loving thing to do? Will dressing in this manner promote or hinder my neighbor's spiritual well-being--is it the loving thing to do?

We are commanded to take our neighbor into account when making choices about how to use our liberty in Christ. No one among us is an island. Whatever we choose impacts our neighbor in some fashion. It impacts or influences them for their benefit or for their harm. And so we are commanded to take our neighbor into account.

Unfortunately, too many people couldn’t care less about how their choices impact and influence others. They say things like, “It’s my choice; it’s my body; it’s my life; it’s my time; it’s my mind…” and on and on. But this kind of thinking is disobedience to the command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

John Donne was right. Every person is connected to both God and others, both to God and neighbors, in virtually everything we do. Accept the challenge today of using the command, "Love your neighbor as yourself", as a universal principal to direct your interactions with others as well as your involvement with popular culture.