Increasing and Abounding Love

[KeptByTheWord]

Just opened my browser to the multitude of posts today concerning an "open letter" of rebuke, and then the multiple responses. I don't want to take sides in a situation I know very little about. Rather, I want to consider the importance of love as this situation unfolds.

I Thessalonians 3:11-13
11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Paul said we need to increase and abound in love one toward another AND TOWARD ALL MEN. Without love to one another, and to ALL MEN, we will not increase in holiness, or be established in our hearts.

The greatest commandment Jesus left us was this one:

Mark 12:29-31
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these.

May we remember and take to heart the words of Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.