“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
From this verse we see 3 things. We can sum it up as:
Forgiveness by Jesus, forms a community of love, that flows into the world.
1. Forgiveness by Jesus
Loving one another is not a new command by God so what is new about what Jesus says? It is not that they just love one another, it is that they love one another as Jesus loved them. How did Jesus love his disciples? He laid down his life for them on the cross. He died so they could be forgiven and he rose again as their loving King.
At Ignite we want to focus on Jesus' love and forgiveness. To do this we need to listen to him in the Bible and depend on him in prayer. This means that the first priority of Ignite will always be to make Jesus central. We don't just mean Jesus is a good example. What we want to do is make sure our youth have a real and personal relationship with Jesus. We want them to make him their Ruler and Rescuer.
It only by Jesus' death that we can be saved from our rebellion against God, and the punishment of eternal death it deserves. We are saved from our old way of life only by Jesus' forgiveness and we are changed to follow him only by his transforming power. In Jesus we have a new life and a new eternal hope that we want our youth to embrace and enjoy.
2. Forms a community of Love
When people trust and focus on Jesus' love it changes them to be loving. Christians are thankful people. They are forgiven people, not good people. When people receive Jesus' forgiveness they form a community when they can love, encourage and serve one another. It is only when a community is thankful and focused on Jesus that people start loving one another differently.
When this happens people (even youth) start laying down their lives for their friends and even for their enemies. They also start crossing social, racial and cultural divides that have been put up. People even give up their own needs and wants for the sake of others. This new love of Jesus starts a radical love in his followers that is unique and different to any other love in the world.
3. That Flows into the World
When Christians love each other in such a unique way, people who aren't yet Christians want in. They want to find out what makes true Christian community so amazing. When they do we want to tell them that it is not us but that is the Lord Jesus. As our youth grow in Christ we want them to be able to talk about Jesus with their friends. Christians are just beggars telling other beggars where bread can be found. We want to give the world the best thing we have, the forgiveness and love of the Lord Jesus.
