The end of the commandment is love out from a clean heart, and a good conscience, and unhypocritical faith (1 Timothy 1:5).
The Church is under a different covenant that is based upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). As priests, under Christ, who is the High Priest according to the Melchizedek order, Christians are under different standards (Hebrews 7:12). When Christ issued a new commandment to His disciples prior to His death and resurrection, He did not merely modify or clarify the Mosaic law; rather, He established a new standard. Members of the Church are instructed to love one another as Christ loved them (John 13:34). This is not a love that is to be directed at the world, nor the things of the world (1 John 2:15).
This commandment reaches maturity when believers edify one another in love (Ephesians 4:16). Such edification occurs only when Christians are filled by the Holy Spirit and manifest the fruit He produces in their lives (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22–23).
The heart is the center of a person, not the physical muscle in your chest that pumps blood through your body. Out from the heart comes the things of a man. These things will defile a man (Matthew 15:18) when he is focused on the flesh (Mark 7:20–23). However, the Christian is clean (John 15:3); therefore, love comes out from a clean heart. Thus, the believer is to put away things of darkness and uncleanliness to serve others in Christ in a manner that seeks the best for them.
Since all individuals possess the knowledge of good and evil, each person has a conscience. The conscience evaluates actions, either accusing or excusing them based on personal knowledge (Romans 2:15). A good conscience does not accuse, as actions align with one’s understanding.
An unhypocritical faith is a lifestyle that matches the words a person declares to believe. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17), for what man does not act according to what he believes? A hypocrite is a person who is acting as someone they are not. This word comes out of the theatrical arts. Our love is to be unhypocritical—without acting. This type of conduct will not tolerate malignant evil; instead, it will cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).
Christians are in Christ, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, living the Christian life is not an effort to achieve righteousness, but rather an expression of the righteousness already possessed in Christ. This way of life results in obedience to the Lord’s commandments for the Church and matures love in interactions with other believers.
