Love One Another

[Jesus said,] “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 13:35

THERE ARE DIFFERENT ways to prove something in today’s society—different standards that can be used to make judgments and decisions. During a criminal trial, for example, prosecutors must prove that a defendant is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. Proof must be absolute. In a civil trial, however, defendants can be proclaimed guilty if there is a preponderance of the evidence—in other words, if the evidence for guilt merely outweighs the evidence for innocence. Proof is more flexible in that circumstance.

The New Testament offers several ways for us to evaluate whether we are truly following Jesus. Disciples of Jesus should feel his guidance in their lives, for example (see John 10:27). They should demonstrate spiritual fruit for his Kingdom (see Matthew 7:16-20). They should experience God’s discipline when they go astray (see Hebrews 12:6-8).

But this verse offers one of the clearest evidences of salvation directly from the mouth of Jesus. Namely, true Christians demonstrate self-sacrificial love. Genuine followers of Jesus display love for one another through their actions. They also express love for the rest of the world—for those who don’t yet know Christ.

Interestingly, this evidence of salvation is a key principle from John 13:35—but it’s not the promise contained in that verse. The promise is that when we demonstrate self-sacrificial love for one another, the world will take notice. They will see our actions, and they will recognize us for what we are: disciples of the one who sacrificed himself on the cross in order to save all of us from our sins.