Abiding in Christ - Day 22 - Continue in His Love

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you;continue in My love. ~ John 15:9

Think about this for a moment.  Read Chapter 22 for yourself.

Jesus loves the redeemed sinner in the same way the Father loves Him.


Love needs an OBJECT

• to give itself away to
• in whom it can lose itself
• with whom it can make itself one

Because God is love, there must be a Father and a Son.  The Father's love to the Son is that divine passion that finds delight in the Son, and declares

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. ~Matthew 3:17

Divine Love is a burning fire, with one object and one joy:  the only begotten Son!  The astounding thing for me as a believer is that the Father's love for His Son mirrors the love of Christ for me.

As one of His redeemed ones you are His delight,
and all His desire is to you,
with the longing of a love that is stronger than death,
and which many waters cannot quench.
His heart yearns for you,
seeking your fellowship and your love.
If it were needed, He would die again to possess you.
As the Father loved the Son,
and could not live without Him -
this is how Jesus loves you.
His life is bound up in yours;
you are to Him inexpressibly more indispensable and precious
than you can ever know.
You are one with Him.
"As the Father loved Me, I have also loved you."
What love! ~ Abiding in Christ, Andrew Murray, p.134

This love of Jesus is

• an eternal love
• a perfect love
• a gentle and most tender love
• an unchangeable love

With tender compassion, He bows to our weakness.

With inconceivable patience, He bears with our slowness;

With the gentlest loving-kindness, He meets our fears and failures.

Because of this love, we yield ourselves wholly to abide in Him.

God's love supplies the motive.  Just look at Jesus, the Crucified Love who proved the reality of His affection by giving His life for you.

God's love supplies the measure.  Just look at the unspeakable privilege of being loved with such love that passes knowledge.  (Ephesians 3:18-19)

God's love supplies the means.  Just look at the intense and burning passion of divine love. We love Him because He first loved us.  We abide in Him because of this amazing love. 

"Surely all my unworthiness and frailty can be no hindrance to such love."

• It is stronger than my weakness.
• It will hold me in its arms.
• It will allow me to wander no more.

Divine love has given me faith - that faith by which

• UTTER SINFULNESS casts itself into the Arms of Love to be saved

and 

• UTTER WEAKNESS entrusts itself to be kept and made strong.

What Infinite Love!

Love with which the Father loved the Son.

Love with which the Son loves me.