Living in the fellowship of love
Read John 15:9
It's worth re-reading these verses and looking to see who loves who. There are at least three loves here.
• Which love is the oldest?
• Which love comes next?
• Which love comes last?
It is a wonderful thing that the eternal love of the Father for the Son now overflows from the Son to us, and from us to one another.
• But what specifically is involved in remaining in Jesus’ love (v 10, 14)?
Notice that the Father’s commands (v 10) are exactly the same as what Jesus commands (v 14); they both command exactly what the Bible teaches. Abiding in Jesus' love is a very practical thing!
• What does verse 13 tell us about what Jesus’ love is like, and ours should be like?
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PRAY THRU
Thank the Father and Jesus for their love for you.
Pray that today God will give you eyes to spot an opportunity to love some other Christians in a sacrificial, Christlike way; and that He’ll give you a heart which is pleased to seize the chance.
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Entrusted with a message
Read John 15:15
• What is the difference between a “servant” and a “friend” here?
It is not about emotion, but about revelation.
• How much did Jesus learn from the Father (v 15)?
Look back at John 5:20. This is how much Jesus revealed to His friends, the apostles—and they wrote it down for us in the New Testament! So to “bear fruit” means to pass this wonderful message on.
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APPLY
The only way to bear lasting fruit (v 16) is to love other Christians (v 17) and to pass on to the world the teaching of the apostles (the Bible), which is what the Father taught Jesus and Jesus taught them.
Think practically about love for your brother and sister Christians. And think how you can help pass on the message of the Bible. You may not be a Bible teacher; but you can play a part in praying, in giving, in practical support; and you can
bear witness to Jesus in conversations with friends.
• What could you start doing, or do more of, from now on?
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This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
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