Abiding In Love {Loving Others}

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

John 15:10-12

In verse 10, Jesus wants us to A.) Abide in Him (verse 7) and B.) Continue (keep going) in His love. Then He tells us how to Abide-in-Him and Continue-in-His-Love! “If we keep His commandments, we shall ABIDE in His LOVE!!!” ‘Just as He (has) kept His Father’s commandments and abide in His love’ as our Ultimate Example!!! BUT! What are His commandments? What is His commandment? Jesus includes the answer to that as well as we shall see in verse 12! But I am getting ahead of myself! J

Another principle we can draw from verse 10 as well, is that Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything that A.) He hasn’t already done (Hebrews 5:14) or B.) that is impossible! Difficult, surely; but doable by God’s grace and through the power of His Holy Spirit! ♥

In verse 11, Jesus tells us that He has told us all these things (according to a Bible commentary I read, “these things” refers to chapter 14, as well as us being fruitful in, by, through, and for Him) because He knows that living for him, abiding in Him, His Words abiding in us, and our being obedient and in constant communion with Him, brings (fullness of) JOY to the Believer’s life! Our lives!!! JJJJ

Then, finally, in verse 12, Jesus gives us His commandment He desires us to obey in verse 10; the commandment that the keeping of brings ability to ‘abide in Him’ and enables us to ‘continue in His love’. The commandment is that we…

Love one another (or, applied personally, love others) as Christ has loved (& continues to love) you and I!!!

That’s a pretty BIG love!!!

But, by the grace and power of God, it is not an impossible one!