In John 15:9, Jesus declares, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ” There is no greater fulfillment in life than to abide every day in God’s love. By abiding in His love, we can help others to also abide in His love. In John 14:6, Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In John 15, Jesus describes the importance of abiding in Him, and the blessings that flow from this relationship.
John 15 (NKJV)
The True Vine
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Revelation 4:11 (KJV) declares, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God created each of us for relationship with Him. By the life, atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can enter into the eternal life and enjoy the joyous loving relationship with Him that He has desired from the beginning.
Continuing in John 15, Jesus describes how this joyous loving relationship with God grows and is perfected.
Love and Joy Perfected
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 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.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
In John 3:16, the keynote verse of the New Testament, Jesus describes the sacrificial love of God for people of all nations.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Paul gives three keys to help us abide in God’s presence: rejoice, pray and give thanks, always without ceasing in everything.
1 Thessalonians 5 (NKJV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
In a similar vein in Psalm 86, David prays for an undivided heart to revere, praise and glorify God’s name forever:
Psalm 86 (NIV)
11 Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
In Psalm 16, David describes his abiding relationship with God through the Messiah who was yet to be born. The “Holy One” in verse 10 who did not see corruption is Jesus Christ, who died for us, rose from the dead, ascended to the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit to live in us.
Psalm 16 (NKJV)
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
If you believe in Jesus Christ and have received Him as your Lord and Savior, you have eternal life and have fellowship with God and other believers. By abiding in His loving presence, you are free from the devil’s snares and no longer a slave to sin. This is the promise of 1 John 1:5-9 (NKJV):
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
David Krause, dhkrause2@gmail.com, https://compellinglove.net/
Compelling Love 
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