“Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.”

John is telling us that he is not writing anything new, or telling us about a new commandment from God. This seeming new commandment is actually the same commandment that was instigated in the beginning in the garden of Eden. God loved His creation and especially His beloved humans, who He made to love each other, in His image and stick by each other always. We are not to use or abuse each other and simply do things for the good pleasure of ourselves, but to serve each other sacrificially. This is God’s love and is true love. We seek it every day, whether we know it or not and want to know forgiveness and peace with Him. To come to Him in repentance is the only way to find that true love of God and know His presence in our lives.

The old commandment is like the new commandment found in the New Testament.

“He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.”

Luke 10:27

To put God as number one in your life and love Him truly by keeping His commandments, is how we know this true love. Jesus preached it from the beginning of His ministry and tells us how we might find the Lord our God and Heavenly Father. He preached the word to the people and demonstrated His power that all might know who He is and that He is the Saviour of the world. This command of God does not change and stands forever as a testament to God’s grace and goodness towards us and His unfailing love that last forever towards His people. Let us take up the new commandment in the knowledge that is from the eternal God and obey it. Let us love our God and love each other as His people. Let us also love the outsider and bring people into our lives that we can help and encourage and point to Christ. Let us love the particular people in our life that God has given to us to love and cherish.

Even if our love should fail, and it will fail, we have a God who loves us still and will uphold us to the very end and bring us safely into the safe-haven of love.