Abiding in His Love

“I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. You must abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”  (John 15:9,10)

Here, rather than focusing on that conditional phrase – “If you keep my commandments you will abide” – let’s focus on the relationship Jesus provides as the precursor for what’s offered: His with the Father. Do we really think, when we examine what went on between the two of them, that Jesus’ obedience to the Father was an arduous, straining effort to get into Abiding with the Father, or that Jesus’ Abiding in the Father led to eager, joyful obedience that only enriched His abiding in the Father?

I’m placing my bet on the latter.

We will not, with joy, obey a Savior we do not know. We will begrudge every little last thing that’s asked of us. Oh, but this is Jesus, the One who “for the joy set before Him endured the Cross” for us, the One whose words and commands are the paving-stones of the Way of Life! So, yes, let’s obey and abide. And abide and obey. “He has loved us just as the Father had loved Him. We must abide in His love.”