The Thou Shalts
- AJ SADLER
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. - John 13:34
We don’t seem to have nearly as much trouble with the Exodus 20 “thou shalt nots” as we do with the John 13 “thou shalts.”
Don’t murder? Got it.
Don’t steal? Easy.
Don’t commit adultery? Check.
Don’t lie? Working on it.
We can run through the Ten Commandments and feel pretty good about ourselves because many of them tell us what not to do. We can point to all the lines we haven’t crossed and convince ourselves we’re doing pretty well.
Then Jesus says…
Love one another as I have loved you.
Well…there goes easy.
Because “don’t steal” means I can leave your stuff alone. Loving you might mean giving you some of mine.
“Don’t murder” means I don’t take your life. Loving you might require sacrificing something from mine.
“Don’t lie about you” means keeping false words out of my mouth. Loving you might require opening my mouth and defending you when everyone else is tearing you apart.
The “thou shalt nots” can sometimes be accomplished by doing absolutely nothing.
The “thou shalts” require movement.
Love.
Serve.
Forgive.
Give.
Encourage.
Show up.
Wash some feet.
Jesus didn’t command us to simply avoid being terrible people. He commanded us to actively love people the way He loved us. That’s a much higher standard.
And notice He didn’t say, “Love them when they deserve it.”
He didn’t say, “Love them when they agree with you.”
He didn’t say, “Love them when they appreciate you.”
He said, “as I have loved you.”
Jesus loved people who couldn’t repay Him. He served people knowing they would abandon Him. He washed Judas’ feet knowing exactly what Judas was about to do. His love wasn’t determined by someone else’s behavior. His love revealed His character.
That’s the gut check.
Sometimes we’re proud because of everything we don’t do while completely ignoring everything Christ commanded us to do. We haven’t stolen anything, but we haven’t given anything either. We haven’t attacked anybody, but we haven’t encouraged anybody. We haven’t hated anyone openly, but we certainly haven’t gone out of our way to love them.
Avoiding wrong isn’t the finish line of Christianity.
Doing what is right matters too.
Maybe the question isn’t only, “What sin did I avoid today?”
Maybe we should also ask…“Who experienced Jesus because of what I did today?”
Here’s the blunt truth: Christianity isn’t just what you DON’T do. If your faith never moves you to DO…what exactly are you following?
The Thou Shalts
1. Have I been measuring my walk with Christ more by the things I avoid than by the love I actively show?
2. Who needs me to stop simply knowing what Jesus commanded and actually do it today?
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