Yesterday, our elder Jonathan had the option to share from anything in John 15 and 16. You can get the full message here. Today, I, Pastor Todd, would like to the reflect on remaining in the love of God in John 15. Looking at verses 10-13, there are three areas in life changed regarding God’s love. These three areas affect the way we act, think, and relate to others in the faith. The three are: 1. Remain in Jesus’ love by keeping his commands. 2. Jesus’ joy will be in us and will complete our joy. 3. Love others the way God loves us.
For reference, here are the verses from John 15:
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. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Keeping Jesus’ Commands = Remaining in His Love
One of the greatest temptations for us as humans face regarding our relationship to God is to de-personalize it into either a series of mystical/superstitious experiences or to codify it into some sort of legal/penal code. On the one hand, we veer toward witchcraft, trying to manipulate the unseen forces to bring about a desired effect. On the other hand, we veer toward a stodgy legalism, setting rigid policies in place to avoid the messiness of relationship. And in the middle are Jesus’ commands.
He says that in order to remain in His love, we must keep his commands. There is very little in his commands that have a clear “do this, don’t do that” directive. Most of them deal with how to reach out to the vulnerable, how to bring healing and restoration, how to love them with the Love of God. Are there moral elements to right relationship with Jesus? Yes. But it isn’t just moralism. It is something much deeper and much more demanding on the human will. It is acting out of a sincere love for God and a desire to do what is pleasing to Him. I love my wife. I would never speak ill of her, because I love her. I see the best in her. I would never want anyone to think less of her. I would never give anyone that kind of ammunition to hurt her or my family. The same goes with the morality aspect of our walk with God. I would never want to give someone the ammunition to speak ill of Jesus. I love him too much for that. My morality is based on 1. Not wanting to disappoint God and take advantage of his immense love. 2. Not wanting to give Him a bad name among people around me. This is all because it would reflect poorly on my relationship with Him.
“Remaining in Jesus’ Love” means we do not have the legitimate space to merely moralize our relationship with him. It means that out of a true, genuine loving relationship, we get to know this loving God and our interactions with others will reflect that.
Jesus’ Indwelling Joy Completes Our Joy
When we remain in the love of Jesus, there is a powerful result, His joy will dwell in us and will complete our joy. This is a great indicator of a healthy and dynamic relationship with Jesus. So many people who resort to religious mechanisms to approach God end up lacking his joy in them. Why? Because the relationship isn’t internally fostered. (note: There are untold numbers of people throughout history that have followed liturgical formulas and still fostered a deep, loving relationship with Jesus). What I’m saying is that the forms in and of themselves do not guarantee a relationship. In the end, it is still a heart issue. It is still a matter of our willingness to get to know God personally.
A complete joy inside us is like a strong anchor in the tempests of life. Complete joy doesn’t mean that we will always have the feeling of elation. It means that we are at peace in life. We aren’t pulled off course by unhealthy relationships. We don’t spiral out of control in the midst of tragedy. (That’s not to say we can’t be hurt and scarred emotionally). That means we have a refuge in God. We have the confidence that eternity is where we belong. More than anything else, full joy means nothing can remove us from God’s love. God’s love is something that no circumstance can change; no harm can shake; no act against us can move. We will always have God’s love. That immovable commitment to be forever in relationship with God is played out in us keeping the command of Jesus to abide in his love. Our joy comes from that loving relationship
We Love Like God Loves
The third thing Jesus instructs is for us to love like God loves. 15:13 is one of the most famous verses in the chapter. “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for His friends.” In the immediate context, Jesus is referring to the greatness of his own love with his sacrifice in mind. Just after this verse, Jesus declares his disciples as friends. He is laying his life down for them and considers them friends.
Yet this statement has a broader ranging implication. Jesus tells us we are to love each other as he has loved us. Throughout Jesus’ time with his disciples, he maintained an unwavering commitment to them. Then he essentially commands them to “do ye likewise.” So all followers of Jesus have the imperative to love as deeply and unconditionally as Jesus did. Why? Because it is His love that and joy that remains in us, so long as we remain in Him.
At the end of the day, loving like Jesus loved may not lead us to sacrificing ourselves for others (sometimes it does, and what an honor to do so). It does, however, mean that we are to look for the best in other believers and call them to it. We aim to see and love people the way God sees and loves them. For believers that exhibit a desire to grow in Christ, we are to do what we can to empower them in that pursuit. We can’t make people progress. We can’t make them desire God. We can’t even make them put the effort in. All that has to come from a strong enough desire for God that they are driven to act. What we can do is create an environment and lend our gifts, talents, and abilities to help them on their way. That is what the Gifts in Ephesians 4 are about–equipping and empowering other believers to become all God has called them to be (a.k.a. To become their best selves in Christ).
That is why the mission of TGP is to “create an environment where people can experience the Presence, Love, and Power of God. For it is by experiencing God’s presence that they encounter his love. It is through encountering God’s love that they experience His power. There is no experiencing the power of God without the love of God.
Thank you for reading this week’s pastor blog. I hope that it helps you experience our Lord’s
Presence. Love. Power.
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