Great Love

John 15:12-17
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

This passage begins with Jesus giving a command for His disciples to love each other as He has loved us. He followed this command with an example of love, to give one's life for his friends, and then called us His friends if we obey His commands. A few chapters later, Jesus was beaten and crucified; He fulfilled His example of great love by giving His life for our sake. Jesus said that He no longer called us servants because servants do not know their master's business, but called us friends because He has made known to us everything He learned from God.

Jesus continued on to say that we did not choose Him, but He chose us. Even if we made the choice to follow Him, He chose us and gave us a purpose in His plan. He gave us the job of bearing fruit that will last. To understand what Jesus meant by "fruit," we have to look back a few verses to John 15:8, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Our "fruit" is our legacy as Christ followers, being living examples of Christ's love. Jesus gave His disciples (which includes us) the job of bearing good fruit that will last--leaving a legacy of His love. We cannot do this by ourselves; we must remain in Jesus to be examples of His love.

This passage closes the same way it began, with Jesus giving His command to love each other. He emphasized His command because it is so very important. In order to draw others to Christ, we must act like Him and show everyone His incredible love. How can you show Christ's love to those around you? How can you leave a legacy so that the generations to come will want to follow a God with such great love?

I hope you have a wonderful week and find ways to love others in keeping with Christ's command.

Blessings, Caitlin

Colossians 3:1-4

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory."

As followers of Christ, we are given new life in Christ and a new promise: a home in heaven, where Christ is honored at God's right hand. When we live for Christ, He reconciles us to Him washes us clean. He becomes our new life; and at the end, when Christ appears before the whole world in all His glory, His followers will share in His glory.

However, right now we still have the temptations of this world to battle with, and we constantly sin. That is why Jesus wants to save us. In Him, we can have a different, new life, even when we fall short of His expectations. We must try to obey His word, but He didn't ask us to be perfect. Otherwise, we wouldn't need God's grace to save us; we could do it all on our own. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice to save all people, will save those who accept His gift, even though they may fail. His sacrifice is big enough to cover everyone's mistakes.

We should do our best to obey God. Even when we fall, He will be there to dust us off and pick us up again. He sent Jesus to redeem us because He wants us to be with Him in heaven someday. People are His masterpiece creation; He loves us. He does not love us because we are perfect or could ever be perfect on our own. He loves us because He made us in His image. We were worth His time and effort to create, and we were worth it for Him to send His Son to be crucified for the sake of our redemption. He made us carefully, working out every detail about each of us, long before we were born. If that is not proof of God's love, I don't know what is. He loves us so much, and He wants us to love Him back. He desires our hearts.

1 Peter 5:10-11

"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."

To completely understand these verses, we must first dissect them and pull out the individual meaning of each part. Just in the beginning of the first sentence, God's grace is shown. Through Christ, God enabled us to share in His glory, meaning we will be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven and live with God for eternity if we accept Jesus as our Savior. Isn't that amazing? Without Christ's sacrifice, we would be unable to find a way into heaven on our own (John 14:6). It is solely by God's grace that we can enter His presence (Ephesians 2:8).

The next part of the sentence is a little trickier to decipher: "After you have suffered a little while, [God] will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." What is this "suffering for a little while"? What about God's grace? Even Christians have suffering in this life. This world is broken and imperfect, and we all sin, whether we are saved or not. That is why God sent Jesus, to give us a chance to find the Father and enter heaven. God desires our hearts and wants to be with us. When He created us, God meant for us to be with Him; we belong in His arms. Therefore, after we have suffered on earth, He will restore us to Him.

Additionally, while we are on earth, God will support and strengthen us; He will place us on a firm foundation: Jesus Christ. Even when we are weak and feel like we cannot stand, God is there with us. He will never leave us.

To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessings, Caitlin