Abiding in His Love

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:10

All of us were children at one time, and I think that we all would probably be lying if we said that we obeyed our parents perfectly, and never disobeyed at any point.

I know I wasn’t obedient all the time as a young child. I can remember one specific time when I was asked to stop doing something, but instead of listening, I just kept right on doing it. That is called disobedience, and it is the exact opposite of how we are supposed to act as Christians.

A few years ago we got a new puppy, and we immediately began to try to train him commands. Sit, stay, roll over etc. And as anyone who has tried to train a dog will know it didn’t happen immediately. We would tell him to sit down, but he didn’t understand quite yet what that meant, so he kept running around all over the place. It took several hours and many handfuls of treats before he finally obeyed our command to sit. 

It is quite an exciting moment that first time a dog complies with a command, and we made certain to shower him with love and affection when he followed his command. He learned obedience.

If someone is obedient, it means that they are willing to comply with the commands, orders, or instructions of those in authority.

Being a Christian requires that we also follow and are willing to comply with the commands that are given to us. What are these commands? In Matthew 22, it says, 

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

This is the first and great commandment. 

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Just those two commands, to love God, and to love your neighbor. If you can do those things, you will be keeping His commandments, and you will be abiding in the love of Christ.

Obedience is a quality that is required in a Christian. As servants of Christ, we serve His will and command, and not our own.

Disobedience is not something that should ever be rewarded anywhere, and the Christian faith is no different. Would a parent reward a child who did something that they were expressly forbidden to do? When a person exceeds the speed limit on the highway, what happens? They don’t receive a reward, but instead are punished for their disobedience to the law.

We need to be obedient children of God, and to do that we need to keep His word.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23

When someone makes the decision that they are going to serve Christ, they need to understand that it means that they are under His will, and under His authority. They can no longer be a servant of sin, because Jesus has set them free from their sins. 

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:16-18

The love that Christ has for you is greater than that of anyone else, because only He died for your sins, and it is only through Him that eternal salvation is found. Please, if you haven’t already, give your life to Jesus and go and abide in His love.

In Christ,

Andrew