ABIDE IN MY LOVE

John 15:9 – As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

This verse is easy to miss at first glance. Have you ever considered what it means to abide in the Father’s love? Jesus gives us a hint when He says “as the Father has loved Me”, so have I loved you”. This level of intimacy is far beyond anything in this life; it is stronger than a mother’s love for her child, a lover’s love for their mate, and better than the love of a best friend. It is something that is beyond our natural love, it is supernatural love that comes from the realm of infinite. Infinite love, supernatural love, love that has no bounds is what the Lord offers to us. This is how the reformer Musculus describes this kind of love.

“Abide in my love”: Let us consider the instruction here. He says, “I love you; abide in my love.” He does not say, “Take care that I may love you constantly,” but he exhorts them to abide in his love. The love of Christ toward us is like the radiance of the sun; he loves his own to the end. Nor does his love change into hatred, as we see happen in the present age, where one who loves today may change in a moment tomorrow and despise and hate the one whom he had loved without measure a little while before. Christ loves us; let us only see that we abide in his love; that is, that we do not remove ourselves from sharing in him. He is the vine, and he pours his nature and goodness into his branches, so long as they abide in the root, so that they may share in the vital sap. If we do not abide, we perish, not by his fault, but by our own.”

Interesting that Musculus used the sun as a measurement or description of the love of God. Scientists say that our sun has enough energy to last for another 5 billion years, obviously we don’t have to worry about the sun burning out. The love of God is stronger than even the sun. 5 billion years from now God’s love will not be diminished in the slightest. It is constant and infinite and Jesus is the focus of His Father’s love which means that we, as sons and daughters are also the focus of His love. So abide in His love, this love will satisfy and sustain you forever.