“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 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. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:9-13).
Introduction
The apostle Paul tells us that love is the greatest attribute a person can have and that it fulfils the requirements of the law (1 Corinthians 13:13, Romans 13:10). The apostle John informs us that we can experience perfect love (1 John 4:18). In our opening text we can see the truth of this, for since “God is love” and we can “do nothing” without Christ, it follows that true Christian love is given to us directly from God (1 John 4:16, John 15:5). This love is “shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost” (Romans 5:5).
Divine love
Exactly the same love that the Father has for His Son, is the love Jesus has for us. It is not different in measure, quality or kind or else it would not be the love Jesus speaks of. This must be love that knows no bounds or limitations. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19). Inline with the parable, whatever runs through the vine must be enjoyed by the branches too. Therefore love is not just a Christian sentiment but a spiritual reality for those who are abiding in Christ.
Though we might not fully understand how such love can exist in us, it ought not deter us from accepting this precious gift with all our hearts. It cannot be manufactured or worked up by the flesh, and it is impossible to receive it on account of good deeds, sacrifices or personal merit. Mere determination to operate in love will soon end in failure. Divine love or heavenly love has no comparison on earth. This love is all of God, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” … “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (John 3:16, Romans 5:8), and is imputed to our soul as soon as we believe and accept Christ as Saviour, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Abide in love
The fact that the Lord asks us to abide in His love reveals that we do not automatically do so. The personal experience of Christians throughout the ages is proof that few consistently abide in love. Also Christ’s words indicate that it is possible to live in a state of perfect love. It may seem too lofty an ideal for us, but is that not only a lack of faith on our part? Some call this the higher, deeper, fuller or abundant Christian life, and it is. This abiding in love is where holiness finds its foundation. We see then that this love is entered into at salvation, but it is important to realise that we have to grow in it too through obedience. “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments” (2 John :6) … “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
By abiding in Christ’s love infers that we can know a victorious Christian life, for this love conquerors all. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39). If we would take time to think about the consequence of abiding in love we would know the strength to get us through every one of life’s dilemmas.
We must not forget that abiding in love means that we must stay in it. The benefits it brings ceases to be ours when we purposely turn our hearts away and give our love to another. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
Lateral love
True love come from God to the human soul, and in return it responds by returning that love along the same heavenly channel, but love, like branches, must spread out too. Therefore we cannot abide in Christ’s love while hating those around us. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21). For love to be perfect it has to reach around the Earth as well as to Heaven. This love is not cheap like that of the flesh, instead it is sacrificial for it is willing to lay down life itself to win another to Christ, even as He in perfect love laid down His life for us.
Those who are partakers of Christ’s nature love instead of hate. Can we see then that love is a part of the fruit that is produced by the branches? “The fruit of the Spirit is love…..” (Galatians 5:22). It is one of the proofs that we are true followers of Christ. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Lateral love is a requirement rather than a suggestion; therefore we cannot abide in Christ without it. If we are not abiding in Christ’s love then we are abiding in death. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14).
Conclusion
As the Father loves Jesus, and Jesus loves us, so we must in turn love others. From the Vine to the Branches into the Fruit. If the fruit is sour then that person might never come to the tree again. God perfectly loves Christ; Christ perfectly loves us; we must perfectly love others. This is only impossible if we are not abiding in the vine. If we are wholly committed to loving, obeying and serving God then we will continually exhibit what the Husbandman is longing to see; perfect fruit.
© 19/4/2010