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Love as Obedience
Volume 1 Issue 11
Scripture
John 15:9-17 (NIV)
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed 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, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Sunday
Pray: Lord, as I meditate on Your Word today, help me see You in a way I never have before. Help me see this portion of Your Word in a new light. Drive it deep into my soul so it becomes an integral part of my life.
Spend several minutes meditating on John 15:9-17. Read it in context of the rest of the chapter and the rest of the “scene.”
Who is talking?
To whom?
When and under what circumstances?
Where?
What was the purpose (to teach, rebuke, entertain, emote)?
Consider the passage phrase-by-phrase. Write down key words or phrases that seem to “jump out” at you and any insights you receive from God.
Monday
Jesus is about ready to die. He knows it and has told his disciples. But they are so used to hearing him talk in parables, they don’t recognize plain speech when they hear it. In John 15, Jesus is giving his disciples their last instructions before he is crucified. Within hours he will be arrested. By the following evening, he will be buried.
So, what does he have to say in his last words? John 15:9-17 (in the NIV) consists of 173 words. “Love” is mentioned nine times. Twice, he gives them an outright command to love each other (v. 12 and 17).
All occurrences of “love” in this section are from the Greek word agape. Agape is love based on the value given by the one loving – not earned or merited by the recipient. Agape is the word Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 13. It is often referred to as “divine love” or unconditional love.
Since God placed His image in each person He created, He placed His value in us. As God-image bearers, God values us. Each person we see bears the image of God, so we need to show them His agape.
How are you at obeying Jesus’ command to unconditionally love one another? What obstacles stand in your way? When do you find it easiest to display agape love? When is it most challenging?
Pray: Lord, help me to show Your love to those around me, especially those closest to me. Let me love them selflessly, as You love me. When I begin to become selfish, convict me of my sin and strengthen me to truly love at all times.
Tuesday
John 15:13-14
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
Luke 9:23-24
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Jesus was standing in the shadow of the cross. He was trying to prepare his disciples for an experience none of them could possibly imagine. He knew they could not understand that day or that weekend, but, in time, the Holy Spirit would remind them of His words, and they would see what was His plan all along.
And he showed them. He gave them a picture of love. He practiced what He preached. Then said, “Do likewise.”
You may not be asked to physically die for a family member, co-worker, or friend. But we are commanded to daily deny ourselves, and obey.
What “cross” must you take up daily – where is it difficult for you to love selflessly, as Jesus loved?
Pray: Jesus, help me to remember the great sacrifice you made when you died, showing your great love for me. Then, strengthen me to love my family and others around me in the same manner.
Wednesday
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Jesus obeyed the Father in all things. He heard and obeyed. And He remained in the Father’s love. We, then, will remain in the love of Christ when we obey His commands.
Obedience is not always easy. Often we have something we would rather do, or a way we think would work better. That’s what Adam and Eve thought, too. But God requires obedience.
When I need to remind my children to obey, I use a prompt I learned from a homeschooling friend. I hold up my hand, fingers extended, and tell them, “I need to hear it.”
The copy me, grasp their thumb and say, “Yes, Mommy, I’ll obey,” (index finger) “Every day,” (middle finger) “In every way,” (ring finger) “Right away,” (pinkie) “The happy way.”
And we need to obey Jesus the same way.
How do you do with the five finger obedience?
Pray: Jesus, teach me to know your voice and to obey every day, in every way, right away, the happy way.
Thursday
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul gives us a picture of what love looks like. Reading through his list, I find several points that I lack. I don’t want to love certain people that way. But the first of the chapter warns that if I don’t, I’m a worthless noisemaker.
But, when I choose to obey and love I find God’s love being returned to me. It may not be by the people I am loving, but always am blessed.
Meditate on 1 Corinthians 13, in light of John 15: 9-17.
Pray: Jesus, help me to love as you love and obey as you obey. Help me keep my eye focused on the goal, and to see Your image in each person I encounter.
Friday
Review your journaling for this past week. What themes run throughout your thoughts?
Pray: Lord Jesus, thank ybbou for showing me Your perfect love and obedience. Show me how You want me to follow You.
Record His answer here:
Saturday
Spend some time in focused prayer today, reflecting on Christ’s faithful, eternal mercy and love.
Pray: Thank you, Lord Jesus for loving me before the creation of the world. Thank you for showering me with Your mercy. Cause Your love to overflow into these areas of my life:
1 comment
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July 6, 2008 at 11:13 pm
rulookingforjesus
you have done a great job in your positings it is wonderful to be able to see someone take time to share the word with other people