In my reading today, these two verses shouted out at me:
"As the Father loved Me. I also have loved you; 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 (NKJV)
There was an actor who said that he thought God is a punchline. How ignorant we humans can be when trying to define the Mighty and Powerful God within our own paradigm.
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24 NKJV
This is what Jesus told the Woman at the well. She had her definition of who God was and how one should worship Him.
We cannot understand who He is by our standards. It is important to ask Him to show us who He truly is and to learn from Him. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 NKJV
What is the Power of His Love?
Because Jesus abided in the love of His Father, He succeeded in the relationship with the Father and was able to conquer His existence as "God-Man." All the criticism He received from His creation, feelings of anguish, His joy in loving those around Him, etc., was put into proper perspective.
Through Christ's example, He showed us the Power there is when abiding in God's Love. It isn't just a feeling we encounter when we are worshiping, it goes beyond that. There is a protection that surrounds our daily lives when we abide in Him. The two verses shows that there is a benefit just by following Him. Simply invest in His love, by abiding.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "abide" in two types of verbs:
Transitive:
- to wait for
- to endure without yielding: withstand
- to bear patiently: tolerate
- to accept without objection
- to remain stable or fixed in a state
- to continue in a place
- to conform to
- to acquiesce
When one abides within the closure of His love, nothing can penetrate these walls. His love covers and strengthens us within our daily living. The Psalmist expressed the power of God's love through this verse; "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler." Psalm 91:4 NKJV
So many times we want God to fix our situations or we pray "Lord change us, we want to do your will." But there isn't any change until we accept His truth and learn from Him. Transformation comes when we "abide" in Him. "Don't let the urgency of your need keep you from enjoying the intimacy of His presence as you seek His will." Charles Stanley
What does Jesus mean by keeping His Commandments?
I don't believe He was directing this specifically to the "10 Commandments." The Law of Moses was a pointer to Christ, for us to get saved. Once we are saved, we follow the Law of Christ. "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. " Galatians 5:14 NKJV
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." Galatians 2:16 NKJV
"But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."
1 John 2:5-6 NKJV
An acquaintance told me last week, that he was trying to be good. We can try all we want and never succeed. But once we make the decision allowing Him to do it for us, then success begins.
Jesus made it easy for us, all we need to do is follow Him. Once we accept without objection then conformity begins within our lives. Changes to our relationship will occur. Yes, there may be some shattering of weaknesses that have engulfed our lives. The hoarding of our human soul needs to be cleaned out; the negative beliefs, desires, pains that the fleshly soul doesn't want to let go of, or whatever is holding us back from being successful in our relationship with Him.
When we abide in His Love and follow His words, we allow Him to refocus and adjust our vision. We begin to understand and trust what He is saying. A total transformation! You may not feel what He is saying at the moment, but that doesn't change the power of His words. Just believe through the Spirit. Allow Him to be your faith. So many times I told the Lord, "I am not feeling it Lord" but I believe what you said and so I am standing on your Faith."Something happens when you approach a situation with that type of attitude. Because, when you trust what He says, you look at your situation differently. In Him there is success like you could never imagine.
Where does our love reside? "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 1:15-17 NKJV
Where our hearts abide is what will dominate and command our direction. If you desire to be transformed and be directed by Him, then abide and allow His love to teach you. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30
The results are amazing when we abide and follow Him.
