Abiding in Love, our Greatest Strength

“As the Father hath loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love, even as I abide in my Father’s love.”-John 15:9,10.

2 Cor 3:18 tells that as we behold Christ, we will be changed into the image we see. Andrew Murray said, “Believer, abide in the love of Christ. Take and study His relation to the Father as pledge of what thine own can become. As blessed, as mighty, as glorious as was His life in the Father, can yours be in Him. The believer who studies this life of Christ as the pattern and the promise of what his may be, learns to understand how the “Without me ye can do nothing,” is but the forerunner of “I can do all things through Christ who strengths me.”

Though dwelling here on earth, He knew that He was one with the Father; that the Father’s life was in Him, and His love on Him. Without this knowledge, abiding in the Father and His love would have been utterly impossible. And it is thus only that you can abide in Christ and His love.

In His life of humiliation on earth He tasted the blessedness and strength of knowing Himself the object of God’s infinite love, and dwelling in it all day. He knew that God would use everything He possessed, His infinity, His perfection, His immensity, His majesty, His omnipotence as the rays of the glory of His love. He knew His Father loved Him and would give all, and hold nothing back. 

This love of God to His Son must serve, O my soul, as the mirror in which you can learn just how much Jesus loves you. “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:35) And just so Jesus loves His own: all He has is theirs. When it was needed, He sacrificed His throne and crown for you: He did not count His own life and blood too dear to give for you. His righteousness, His Spirit, His glory, even His throne, all are yours. This love holds nothing, nothing back. O wondrous love! To love us even as the Father loved Him, and to offer us this love as our everyday dwelling.

Dear Christian, know and believe this is a LOVE with a height and a depth and a length and a breadth that passes knowledge! Know that all thought of sacrifice or surrender will pass away, and your soul will be filled with wonder at the unspeakable privilege of being loved with such a love. Learn to come and abide in that love all day.

He cannot force all this blessedness on me, but waits till I give the willing consent of the heart. From His own example He invites you to learn that herein lies the secret of rest and joy. You are one with Him: yield yourself now to be loved by Him.

Questions:

• How would you describe God the Father’s love for God the Son? 
• It was the confidence the Son had in the Father’s love that enabled Him to endure the cross. What can we learn from that?
• How confident are you in Christ’s love for you?  
• Just as Jesus knew Himself to be the object of God’s infinite love, and dwelt in it all day, how does your mindset hinder you from doing that?

Adapted from Andrew Murray, Abiding in Christ chapters 22-23