Manifested Love Pt 19: So I Have Loved

John 15:9-10                          9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

John 17:22-24                        22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

So I have loved you

It is difficult to think of a Scripture more important or encompassing as this except perhaps for John 3:16 (God so loved the world…).  One of the great spirituals leaders of our day, Mike Bickle, who teaches out of the International House of prayer in Kansas City, calls John 15:9 the most important verse of all of Scripture.  I agree with him; think what the verse says:  Jesus loves us with the same kind of love He himself has received from his Father.  I can think of several episodes of my life, when I was going through particularly difficult times, in which I was aware of Jesus’s love.  The later of those times became even more poignant as I realized it was the Father loving me through the Son.  How lovely were those times.  Let’s consider though that it is not exactly the same kind of love.  After all, because of his love God placed all of creation in the Son’s hands, and he certainly has not done that for us.

And Jesus’ love for his children is permanent and unchanging.  The sense of ‘have loved’ in the Greek is that of an act committed once and for all; it indicates that everything Jesus has ever done with and for his disciples (and us), and everything he will do (including his death and resurrection) is done out of his love.  It’s a done deal; nothing we can do, or not do, will now or ever change it. 

Active vs Passive

But what is the point of saying this?  Just to reassure us?  To remind us we are secure in his love?  Yes, but there is more to it.  Jesus is setting an example.  He’s saying, “This is how I want you to love.  I want you to remember that I loved you even before you knew me.  Love like that.” 

What does that mean in our daily lives?  He answers that question in the last part of vs 9, then expands in vs10.  Remain in my love.  There’s a problem here for the Western church though, because the West’s, particularly American, inclination toward independent, rebellious thinking, and away from direction by another.  Human beings like to be loved; it helps us feel like we are not alone and that another person considers us important to their lives.  Case in point:  I recently fell on ice and broke my ankle severely enough to require 13 screws.  I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and another 2 weeks in rehab.  Frequently during those 6 weeks people came to visit and I want to tell you that never have I felt so loved.

But why would Jesus command us to love him.  Doesn’t that counter the notion of voluntary love?  The thing is, Jesus knows more than we do (Now there’s a thought to consider!).  He knows the benefits of staying in fellowship with him; i.e. remaining in him.  People can accept the notion of staying in fellowship with other humans because we can hold and be held; there’s give and take.  But we don’t seem to be able to translate that same interaction to God.  Nonetheless that interaction is available and Jesus is drawing attention to the benefits and blessings to be found there.  Have you ever felt the elation of doing a good job for your employer and being called out by him in front of the rest of the crew?  That acknowledgement was more important to me than the wage increase which may have followed. 

32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:32-34)

There is real blessing to be found in doing the things that make another happy.  Jesus was saying that we need physical food, certainly, but that we also need spiritual food.  This food, this nourishment, comes through abiding fellowship with Jesus and, through Him, with our Father. 

What about me?

The life of a believer is not best represented as a 100-yard dash.  It is a marathon, and any person who has accepted Jesus as his personal Savior knows that moment of conversion does not mean the end of temptation or the preclusion of failure.  After conversion life is filled with opportunities to become more holy and more righteous—that is, to become more and more like Jesus.  This process is called sanctification.  And because of our sin nature, this process cannot be achieved without help from Jesus.  Before I came to know Jesus I had a big question about sin.  Why does the Church make such a big deal about it?  Sin is a big deal because sin is doing anything that detracts from one’s intimacy with God.  It is sneaky and pernicious.  James puts it this way:

14…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14-15)

You see, sin is not a one-off.  It comes from being tempted by a thought or action, considering it, and then following through.

After having the temptation, avoiding sin is difficult, maybe even impossible, if attempted in the flesh.  We must have Jesus in our corner and this requires that we have intimate fellowship with him.  Scripture calls this abiding in Him.  It means that even though we frequently fail we try to live a life pleasing to Jesus.  Remaining in his love means ‘checking’ with him every day.  Maybe the thing in question is the first step on a slippery slope leading to full-blown sin.  Maybe it is not sin at all but is a time-wasting activity that takes away from that abiding.  Maybe that activity will embarrass someone or hurt their feelings.

Having frequent prayerful interaction with the love of Jesus, and consequently the love of the Father, is a way of double-checking ourselves.  I often get the idea I shouldn’t do something.  I used to call them hunches; now I recognize them as Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, letting me know trouble lays on that path.  Try to develop that intimacy with your Lord; it will serve you well.