A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35
All of Scripture can be summed up in Jesus’ new command to love others as He’s loved us. But He’s Lord. We’re not. How can this quality of love be our norm, especially in the midst of life’s ups and downs? When life gets tough, loving others isn’t always our top priority. Yet, as we’ll see, loving others as He’s loved us is the key to our own fulfillment and Joy.
We Love Because He First Loved Us
We love because He first loved us. I John 4:19
Us loving others has to start with God’s love for us. He is the source of all love. Human love is impure and self serving. We’re to be branches, yielding the fruit of love from Jesus, our vine.
But when the fact of God’s amazing love is hidden from us, we operate on our own, seeking love from others as we love.
What Quality of Love
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! I John 3:1
We’ll never fully grasp the enormity of God’s love for us, but the more we hear the truth and seek His understanding, the more our heart begins to grasp it’s enormity.
Jesus tells us He loves us as much as the Father loves Him (John 15:9)
Paul says God’s love for us and His supernatural power at work within us, is beyond comprehension. (Ephesians 3:19)
God’s love is completely unselfish. Jesus demonstrated it when he washed the feet of men who would deny and betray Him, Peter and Judas. Then hours later, he died for us all, His enemies.
Use your imagination a moment to consider this quality of God’s love for you. By faith, recon it true. Against all which would say otherwise, rest in His love. Shame has been destroyed. Striving has ceased. You’re in Christ and He’s in you. Rest.
From His Love, We love
Have you ever tried to love in your own strength? I have. It didn’t turn out well. Human love expects something in return. When we love without knowing God’s love, our love is self serving. But even if we experienced the greatest human love, we’d be left us incomplete and wanting. Only the love of God completes us.
Christ did the work and in His love we’re to remain. Ours is not to strive, but to abide.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:9-12
Jesus tells us how much he loves and commands us to remain in His endless, relentless love. And the way we stay in His love is by loving others.
From His Love Springs Complete Joy
The great cadence of receiving God’s love and giving it away keeps us in the love of Christ and gives us great joy.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11
Loving as Jesus has loved us, keeps us from needing anything from the world. We’re freed from circumstances, success, the opinion of others and worldly peace. Loving others as Jesus loves us, completes our hearts and fills us to the brim and overflowing with God’s joy. Nothing remains for us to do but rejoice.
Why Knowing God’s love and Giving it Away is Harder than it Seems
Stay in God’s love. Love others sacrificially as we yield to His Indwelling Spirit. Rest in the complete joy of His presence and love.
It sounds easy, but we all know it’s not. That’s because our enemy knows he’s completely ineffective when we’re resting in Father God’s love. Keeping us from knowing God’s love is his primary goal.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, II Corinthians 10:3-5
Our enemy specializes in raising speculations and lofty things to block us from the knowledge of God’s love. He deceives us into doubting God’s love and settling for the world’s “love” to try and satisfy our deep longings.
But remember this. When we call upon Him, God will fight for us and free us from the enemy’s lies.
Know therefore today that the Lord your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. Deuteronomy 9:3a
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for your incredible love for me. I thank you that you go before me, destroying all that would hide your love from me. I’m learning to rest in your love and it’s the sweetest place on earth. Please keep me from moving from your love. Help me to wait upon you as you go before me, destroying all speculations and lofty things which would hide your love from me.
Thank you