05 Oct Their Love For Us
This is the first in a series of encouraging articles about The Blessings and Joy We Receive from God and Jesus.
As Jesus was preparing to go to the cross to save us, he spoke about God’s love for him, and his love for us:
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that you joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.“ (John 15:9-11)
Jesus makes it clear that God loves him and that he loves us. There are many other statements in the Bible that teach us of the amazing love that God and Jesus have for each other and also for us. Jesus says that confidence in their love will make our joy complete! When we know how deeply loved we are, we find we have love to share with others.
In the passage below, Jesus prays to God that his followers may be brought to loving unity:
“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)
When we love one another, we are unified, and that unity is a powerful testimony to the world, helping others to see God’s love at work.
The apostle Paul described the love of God like this:
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
The love of Jesus is wide, long, high, and deep. It is wide enough, long enough, high enough, and deep enough to cover all our sins and fill all our deepest longings. It is a love that “surpasses knowledge”—in other words, it’s so big, so complete, and so perfect that our human brains can’t fully understand it!
Brothers and sisters, may we embrace the fact that God and Jesus love us! We will never have a greater love than theirs. Our confidence, joy, and self-esteem can all rest safe in the faithful love of God and Jesus. Let us go out and share their love with others, a love that can inspire them to love God in return and to give their lives to him in baptism and discipleship. The love of God and Jesus will positively change our lives, and the lives of others in this world.
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