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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XXXIX, John 15:12,13 - Lesson 147
Read Verse John 15:11 for review, These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
He looked past the cross and heard the Father's word that he was his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased.
He knew that joy was set before him because he pleased the Father by obeying the Father.
And our joy is full only when we abide in Christ and we abide in Christ by obeying his word.
John encouraged this joy in 1 John 1:3,4: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
And your joy is full only by obeying the word of God.
John 15:12,13 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.
The first commandment of Jesus Christ to his disciples after giving instructions concerning abiding in him is for them to love one another.
The two are connected.
Abiding in Christ and loving one another.
What should folks in the church do who do not love one another?
What should the Pastor do when he finds people at odds in the church, people who refuse to love one another?
Does not he need to counsel these brethren to work at it and find common ground and settle their differences?
Doesn't he need psychological training to be able to get people together so they can get along?
Shouldn't he work diligently to bring people together so they will love one another.
NO! The effort of the Pastor is to preach the necessity of abiding in Christ.
The direct approach of interpersonal relationships is not the answer.
A personal relationship between the brethren is not the answer.
Only a personal relationship with Christ is the answer.
If you do not love the brethren you need to abide in Christ until you do!
Jesus Christ commands that ye love one another.
I must simply abide in Christ, then I will have the fruit of love, Christ's love in which to love
As children of God we are commanded to love.
We are ordered by our Master to love one another.
If we do not love one another then we are disobedient children and we are not abiding in Christ.
If God commands us to love then he must also provide the ability to love.
The ability to love comes from abiding in the vine, abiding in Christ.
If we are not abiding in Christ the fruit of the vine is choked from growing on the branch.
The Spirit is quenched when we do not abide in the vine and we cannot love without abiding in the vine because love is a fruit of the vine.
We can only love one another as Christ loves us, by abiding in him.
By abiding in him we allow his love to flow through us and therefore we can love one another as he loves us.
By saying Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, he tells us that there is to be no limit to our love.
Our love is to reach to our readiness to give up our life for our friend.
In other words our love produces works to the even giving up of our life for the brethren.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Oh yes Lord, I will lay down my life for the brethren!
You can count on me!
But do we say yes to this command and yet deny the lesser love of daily needs and daily comforting of our brothers and sisters?
It is so easy to think of the greater love we would exercise if we are called upon to do so but what about the everyday needs and sufferings of the brethren.
In these we have greater opportunity to do so.
If we neglect these daily needs can we really say that we will somehow conjure up the love it takes to lay down our life for the brethren? |