“‘As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you’” (John 15:9-12, NKJV).
Love is not an emotion, although it will influence our emotions. It is not an action, although it will affect our actions. Love is a person. Love is Jesus. Love therefore, is a place of abiding. Jesus abided in the Father’s love, then carried that same love through to His disciples. It was later His disciples’ turn to carry on that love. They were not however to create the love, or even to sustain it. They were to be loved by Jesus and thereby love each other as He had loved them. Jesus’ new commandment was “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12, NKJV). The Holy Spirit helped me greatly with understanding this commandment. I heard Him say two things. First, “No man can love like Jesus, until they have been loved by Jesus.” And second, “We can only love as we are being loved by Jesus.” That made a lot of sense. After all, John would later say in His epistle “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NKJV).
Love received is love given. Love given can be given on. God is love, and perfect love casts out fear. Jesus would spend time with the Father and receive His affirming, empowering, and transforming love every day. In the same way, we are invited into the Father’s presence, through Jesus, to hear His affirming, empowering and transforming love for us. From this place, we can, in turn, love as we have been loved.
Let’s let the love of God fill us to overflowing, letting it overflow into all relationships. There is coming a day when we, along with all the saints, shall apprehend the love of God in all its dimensions. When we will be filled with the fullness of God, and the Father will receive glory in the church through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:18-21, NKJV).
