You matter!
You are not alone!
You are seen and very important!
I believe that these three phrases sum up Jesus’ words in John 15:9. In this passage, He reaffirms the reality of the love that Father God has for all His children and in the same way Jesus chooses to share love with His disciples.
2. God’s Love for His people.
“I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love.” John 15:9 MSG
Jesus’ declaration of intense love was founded and built upon the love that Father God showed Him. Everyone that Jesus came in contact with was utterly emersed in His love. This was not just a superficial or experimental love, but it was a superior and experiential love. Jesus said that Father God was the source of this love and the one who empowered Him to share this love and remain at rest in this love.
“And give the godless world evidence That you’ve sent me and loved them. In the same way you’ve loved me.” John 17:23 MSG
If we are honest, love, by definition, demands expression. I can remember growing up and always being told, by my mother, “Samuel, love is an ‘action-word.” And along with this action-word is the mandate that love must be shared and multiplied. Real and pure love flows from the center of the heart of God, expressed explicitly in the Trinity.—(see part 2 for an in-depth explanation of the Trinity and God’s love.)
Father God is so kind and generous that although He has always experienced perfect love within His triune nature:
· Father God loves Jesus
· Jesus loves Holy Spirit
· Holy Spirit loves Father God
He created human beings to participate in this glorious fellowship for a clear purpose: He is love! In reality, God lacks nothing. He did not create humanity because He was lonely or discontent or because He had an emotional need that He wanted to fill. He is complete in everything.
Yet, He created us for the simple aspect of inviting us into the most extraordinary experience of all—His love and to be apart of His family. The reality of Father God’s love is not a denial of His divine completion. It is only an open invitation for His sons and daughters to experience the complete substance of His heart.
How do we experience the reality of His love?
The answer is simple—not by trying harder and moving ourselves into more of His heart, but by seeing more of His love and then making the conscious decision to give that love away.
3. Our Love for God
“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God!” 1 John 3:1a MSG
A significant part of the Holy Spirit working in our daily lives is to establish the first commandment, in the first place, in our life, as sons and daughters. “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list.” Matthew 22:37 MSG
Because Father God loves us with all His heart, He wants us to respond with all our love towards Him. He constantly gives us the open invitation to bring our “all” into the relationship with Him as our Father and as His sons and daughters. His desire for us to give our all to Him is not because He feels lonely and rejected when we love others over Him, but it is because He is wholehearted love. And He alone is worthy of our love, adoration, and intimacy.
This complete lifestyle of remaining at rest in His love is our great inheritance to receive.
Walking in His great inheritance,
+SCP
Comments