We are Commanded to Love One Another

Day 21 – We are Commanded to Love One Another

John 15 imageJohn 15:9-17 says: As the Father has loved me, so have I 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 be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

The Greek word, translated to “abide”, literally means “to stay” or “to remain”.

The meaning here is crucial because it places the responsibility for “abiding” on us. That is to say, that if we are not walking with God, it is not God who has abandoned us, but it is us who has abandoned God. Jesus, here, is urging us to not flee from God.

The “love” Jesus is talking about requires a decision to “keep (His) commandments”. Jesus examines “love” by its actions.

On one level, this criteria for “love” should impact many of our human relationships. No doubt, we will say that we love our children, that we love our parents, and that we love our spouse–the question is: do our actions support that claim?

Many of us are eager to love and to be loved, but we often want to love on our terms. Keep in mind that if God’s love for us depended on us living up to His expectations no one in the world would be loved by God. The type of love that Jesus has for His disciples is unmerited love. If we are to love others as Jesus loves us, we must not make our love for others conditional on their behaviour. God loves us unconditionally; so we are to love unconditionally.

Prayer: Dear Yahweh, Father, my prayer is that we would love one another with Your kind of love, not the love we love with. Teach us, O’ Adonai, Yahweh! In Your precious name, Jesus, amen.

List of message series:

Day 1 – Love According to God Day 11 – Love One Another  DAY 21 – WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Day 2 – Fruit of the Spirit  Day 12 – Love Everyone  Day 22 – Burning Love – Love in Marriage
Day 3 – God’s Love  Day 13 – Love Each Other  Day 23 – Gentle Love
Day 4 – Agape Love  Day 14 – Happy Valentine’s Day  Day 24 – One Mind  and Purpose
Day 5 – Who’s Your Master?  Day 15 – Free to Love  Day 25 – Love is a Verb
Day 6 – Life Eternal  Day 16 – Patience Love  Day 26 – Steadfast Love
Day 7 – His Great Love  Day 17 – Born of God  Day 27 – Love Forgives
Day 8 – More Than Conquerors  Day 18 – Born to Love  Day 28 – Love in Marriage
Day 9 – God, Who Gave Himself For Me  Day 19 – Love Your Neighbor & Your Enemy
Day 10 – Adopted  Day 20 – Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Leave a Reply

Loading Facebook Comments ...
Loading Disqus Comments ...