Christlike Love
Abiding in Love That Reflects Christ
SCRIPTURE:
John 15:9-11 CSB - "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 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 these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
OBSERVATION:
In John 15, Jesus instructs His disciples to abide (remain, CSB) in Him. In doing so, we will bear fruit. Along with bearing fruit, we are to love as Christ loves us. We are commanded to remain (abide, NKJV) in His love. But what does this look like?
First, fruit without love is just rotten fruit—no one wants to eat fruit that is spoiled or wormy. Bearing fruit should not be the sole priority; bearing fruit in love—Christlike love—is what truly matters.
Jesus gives us the recipe for love in the following six verses:
Remain in My Love - John 15:10 CSB - "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.
The Greek word for “abide” means “to remain.”
In a sense, Jesus was saying that abiding and loving are actions. They must be visible, tangible virtues in our lives. Do not depart from love; continue and endure in love; remain in love, and don’t let it become something other than what Jesus demonstrated.
Jesus said, “Keep my commands.” His command, as we will see, is to love—because love fulfills His commands. Therefore, we must remain in His love.
My Joy May Be in You - John 15:11 CSB - "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
True love brings a fullness of joy—His joy.
Someone once said that JOY means having the right perspective: Jesus, Others, You. This acrostic shows us how to love. If we follow it, our joy will be complete.
If we are truly loving, His joy will be in us—because He is love.
Love One Another As I Have Loved You - John 15:12-13 CSB - "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”
Big shoes to fill! He not only loved but laid down His life—crucified—for you and me. That is true love.
Remember the Apostle Paul’s words:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 CSB - Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…
Love has never given up on us—so we should never give up loving others.
Love – This is What I Command - John 15:17 CSB - "This is what I command you: Love one another.
This command to love is in the imperative—meaning it must be carried out. This is the only command Jesus gave us: Love one another as I have loved you.
Paul told us it was God’s love that drew us:
Romans 2:4 CSB - Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Kindness is a fruit of love. His kindness led us to repentance. Repentance without love is not repentance, and love without repentance is not love—they go hand in hand.
APPLICATION:
Jesus told us to remain in His love. If our lives look any different—if we set conditions—have we strayed from His love? Jesus placed only one condition on His love: Believe. Come to Him.
Jesus did not say, “Clean yourself up and then come.” He said, “Come.”
When we love with any other condition, we are not loving as Christ loves.
Love as He loves you—why would we want any other kind of love for those around us?
Remain in His love.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for Your love—unending, long-suffering, patient, kind, and enduring to the end. Continue the work of love in me so that I may love as You have loved me.
John 15:9-11 CSB - "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. 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 these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
OBSERVATION:
In John 15, Jesus instructs His disciples to abide (remain, CSB) in Him. In doing so, we will bear fruit. Along with bearing fruit, we are to love as Christ loves us. We are commanded to remain (abide, NKJV) in His love. But what does this look like?
First, fruit without love is just rotten fruit—no one wants to eat fruit that is spoiled or wormy. Bearing fruit should not be the sole priority; bearing fruit in love—Christlike love—is what truly matters.
Jesus gives us the recipe for love in the following six verses:
- Remain in My love (v. 10)
- My joy may be in you (v. 11)
- Love one another as I have loved you (vv. 12–13)
- Love—this is what I command (v. 17)
Remain in My Love - John 15:10 CSB - "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.
The Greek word for “abide” means “to remain.”
- In reference to place: to sojourn, tarry, not to depart.
- In reference to time: to continue, to endure.
- In reference to state or condition: to remain as one, not to become another or different.
In a sense, Jesus was saying that abiding and loving are actions. They must be visible, tangible virtues in our lives. Do not depart from love; continue and endure in love; remain in love, and don’t let it become something other than what Jesus demonstrated.
Jesus said, “Keep my commands.” His command, as we will see, is to love—because love fulfills His commands. Therefore, we must remain in His love.
My Joy May Be in You - John 15:11 CSB - "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
True love brings a fullness of joy—His joy.
Someone once said that JOY means having the right perspective: Jesus, Others, You. This acrostic shows us how to love. If we follow it, our joy will be complete.
If we are truly loving, His joy will be in us—because He is love.
Love One Another As I Have Loved You - John 15:12-13 CSB - "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. "No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”
Big shoes to fill! He not only loved but laid down His life—crucified—for you and me. That is true love.
Remember the Apostle Paul’s words:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 CSB - Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…
Love has never given up on us—so we should never give up loving others.
Love – This is What I Command - John 15:17 CSB - "This is what I command you: Love one another.
This command to love is in the imperative—meaning it must be carried out. This is the only command Jesus gave us: Love one another as I have loved you.
Paul told us it was God’s love that drew us:
Romans 2:4 CSB - Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
Kindness is a fruit of love. His kindness led us to repentance. Repentance without love is not repentance, and love without repentance is not love—they go hand in hand.
APPLICATION:
Jesus told us to remain in His love. If our lives look any different—if we set conditions—have we strayed from His love? Jesus placed only one condition on His love: Believe. Come to Him.
Jesus did not say, “Clean yourself up and then come.” He said, “Come.”
When we love with any other condition, we are not loving as Christ loves.
Love as He loves you—why would we want any other kind of love for those around us?
Remain in His love.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for Your love—unending, long-suffering, patient, kind, and enduring to the end. Continue the work of love in me so that I may love as You have loved me.
True legacy is built by loving others selflessly—serving, following Jesus’ example, and loving to the very end.
Posted in 04 - John
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