Put Yourself to the Test

One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

You have probably seen the “before’s” and the “after’s” that proliferate the media: “This is how Jane looked before she dieted. Here she is after trying our fabulous new plan.” Whether we like to think so or not, there should also be a distinct “before and after” when a person turns to Christ for salvation. Although such a portrait would include many distinct differences over time, there is one prominent feature that should characterize every believer: a newness in out attitudes and behavior toward others.

Most Christians have little problem understanding how sin has alienated them from God. Numerous tracts and clear expository sermons and our own sense of separation illustrate how salvation restores the harmony between man and God that sin had interrupted.

What is not so apparent is the great rift that sin has brought in man’s relationship with each other. Receiving Christ, however, brings the capacity for a radically different relationship with one another. With Christ at the center, we no longer are consumed with our self-interests but are called to love, serve, and even sacrifice ourselves for each other.

How does your “before and after” look when the page is turned to your personal relationships? Is there a noticeable difference?
   
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39