Abide in My Love

Details: Published: Friday, 25 October 2013 17:42

You cannot place any type of measured boundary or a limit on the love of God. The love of the Father for the Son is like a universe, which knows no borders. In the same way, Jesus’ love for you has no limits to its width, length, depth and height! Glory to His Holy Name!

Oh friends, we could go on forever, thinking about this incredible love. But I want you to be reminded of another side to this precious diamond. Consider with me, the intimacy of His love for you. Jesus Christ loves you personally, with this astounding love. The love of the Father for the Son is an intimate and personal love. Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are One”. There could not be a more personal and intimate love than this perfect oneness! Notice what the Lord Jesus says to you in John 14:20, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you”. This is the same oneness; the same personal intimacy, which the Father has with the Son! All of the infinitely perfect love of Jesus goes out to each one of us; as much, as if you were the only one who was included in the “love gift” that the Father has given to Him! There may be millions of born again believers on the earth at this moment and far more who are already in Heaven; but the two personal pronouns in this verse “I” and “you”, are written with nothing but the word “love” between them! Jesus loves you with the same intimacy as the Father loves Jesus! No wonder Charles Wesley penned the words to the song, Amazing Love! How can it be?Oh, but think about the eternality of the Father’s love for the Son! John 17:24 expresses to us that God the Father has loved the Lord Jesus, from before the foundation of the world. There was never a time in eternity past, when God the Father did not perfectly and divinely love God the Son. Jesus says to you today, “As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you”. The Lamb of God has loved you with the same eternality of love! Friends, I can easily recall that for the first 29 years of life, I did not love the Lord Jesus Christ. I can look back on my conversion to Christ in New Orleans, when an agnostic drummer was given a spiritual heart transplant, so that I could now began to love Jesus as my Lord and Savior. But this can never be said about His eternal love for me! He loved His Bride from before the foundation of the world; for He is the Lamb of God, Who was slain from before the foundation of the world, on behalf of any sinner and every sinner who will come to Jesus on His terms. Dear precious friend, you may be walking through a dark valley of adversity today. You may be facing tremendous trials, troubles and tribulations. But I want to encourage you with this truth, that your Lord and Savior loves you with an eternal love. Also, not only has He set His love on you in eternity past, but He will continue to love you, into eternity future. Do you suppose, that there will be any time in eternity future, when the Father will cease to love His only begotten Son, both divinely and perfectly? The idea would be utter blasphemy for a believer to even consider! Well friends, Jesus promises you that ‘as the Father will love Me divinely and perfectly for all eternity, I will also love you forever and ever”! As the old great hymn says, “When with the ransomed in glory, His face I at last shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages, to sing of His love for me”! Hallelujah!

Oh beloved friend in Christ, I want to encourage you with these monumental truths today. The Lord Jesus loved you before you existed. Jesus loved you, when He was baring your sins in His body on the tree. Jesus loved you, while you existed as a lost enemy of God, before your conversion. Jesus was loving you, when He redeemed your soul at your conversion. Jesus loves you unconditionally, at this very moment; not according to your performance; but because of His performance and His payment! Jesus will love you forever, throughout the eons of eternity.

Now, after all of these wonderful affirmations of His love for us, the Lord Jesus gives us an exhortation. Our Lord and Savior call’s on us today to “Abide in His love”! Remain in My love for you! Rejoice in My love for you! Rest in My love for you! Rely on My love for you!

When a disciple continues to abide in the sweet and sacred atmosphere of Jesus’ supernatural and sacrificial love, it will produce a continual exercise of His love for Jesus; and a continual passion and purpose to be a fruitful disciple for the glory of God. This is exactly why the Paul has well said, “The love of Christ compels me.” This stunning and astonishing love for us should melt any hardness in our hearts; and it should have a tenderizing influence in our hearts. This unbelievable love should have an inspiring influence to set our hearts on fire, to accomplish the Lord’s plans and purposes for our lives. It should have a strengthening influence in our lives and ministries; for dear child of God, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. His love for us should inspire and energize us to exhibit that same love for other disciples of Jesus. This is why Jesus gave us the new commandment, to love one another, as He has loved us! His love for us ought to compel us to go into this world, to love lost sinners around us enough, to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. The Lord Jesus has given us the “Great Commandment” and the “Great Co-‐mission”. When He commands us to “abide in His love” He is reminding us that obedience to this commandment and commission, flows from the reality of remaining in, resting in, rejoicing in and relying on His great love for us, that has been demonstrated at the cross. “As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you”. Then the Lord Jesus says to each of us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you”. Oh, may each one of us walk in the reality of this “first love” intimacy with our Lord. Furthermore, may each one of us make a fresh commitment to go anywhere; at any time; to anyone; and at any cost, in the “power of His love”!