Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 15:15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Earlier in the evening before their last meal together, Jesus had called His disciples slaves. ““If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:14-17). He called them slaves earlier to set the stage for them to receive His new command to live to love with Him. At this point in the evening, He wanted them to know what was about to happen and that He was relating to them, not as slaves, but as His dearly beloved friends. As He spoke and they walked toward the arranged rendezvous with the devil, He was laying down His life for His friends. He wanted them to know what He was doing—sanctifying them, His friends, to Himself—calling them into the place He was going to prepare for them. How do His friends get into this place of union with Jesus? They believe Jesus is God in the flesh, who died to remove all of the sins of His friends, who conquered death for them, has risen to ever live to intercede for them, and to give them His life. All done perfectly, according to the will of His Father, so He can continue loving all His friends through them for His glory. Do you realize what Jesus did for you? Do you believe in Jesus? If so, then you know what He was doing. He was preparing to live to love through us today who are His friends.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

In this month's Live to Love blog, we look at God's Vineyard. You'll learn about the vinedresser (God), the vine (Jesus), the branches (people), the fruit (love of God), and the burn pile (hell). God loves the fruit of His love, so He made the world (the vineyard) for the purpose of enjoying the fruit and glorifying Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 15:14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Yesterday we considered Jesus’ incredible words recorded in John 15:13. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Verse 14 reveals who it is that Jesus lays down His life for. He does not lay down His life for everyone. He lays down His life for His friends. And who are His friends? His friends are obvious. They are those who do what He commands them to do. And there would have been no question in the disciples’ minds as to what He had commanded them to do. He had repeated it twice to them in John 13:34 and 15:12. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” In my paraphrase, “My friends are those who live their lives for one purpose: to love with Me those the Father has given Me and therefore bear fruit for the glory and joy of My Father.” To do that, we must lay down living for ourselves, adopt Jesus’ purpose as our own, and live through Him.” Are you a friend of Jesus for whom He laid down His life? I sure hope so!

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
After commanding His disciples to love each other as He had loved them, He explained how He had loved them. His entire life from His first breath in this world, was to surrender His life, to lay down His life, to love those His Father commanded Him to love. What did He lay down? He laid down His life with the comforts of heaven and earth. He surrendered His reputation, honor, rights, everything this world had to offer Him. He did not defend, promote, protect, or assert Himself. Everything was laid down that He had a right to hold onto for the sake of one thing: to express the love of the Father for His glory for those the Father wanted Him to love. As He had only minutes before said, “So that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.” What had the Father commanded Him? For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father” (Jo. 10:17-18). The Father loves His Son so commanded Him to lay down His life of His own initiative. If He laid down His life for us out of obedience to His Father, shall we not also be loved by our Father and commanded to lay down our lives for those He loves? This is the great love that lives inside of us—the supernatural, self-sacrificial, love of God for His friends.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 15:12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
Today’s verse, confirms all that Jesus had said to His disciples. He loved them like the Father has loved Him. To insure that they and all disciples yet to be born may understand that they have been called to a new purpose by the love of God, Jesus repeated the new commandment. It is our highest good to know that this is the love of God, namely, to be commanded to love with Him and then empowered to bear fruit by His life in them. This command, repeated, received, and obeyed is the life, light, and purpose for which church was brought forth out of the Son of Man and given to Him as His bride—to love Jesus by loving each other through the power of intimate union with His life. We will see all of this expressed in Jesus’ prayer in John 17. The love of Jesus is the fruit of the vine which comes from the life of Jesus, and this love is the light of the world for the glory and joy of not only the Father and the Son, but also all who are His. So today, I love you with the love of Jesus, and in His name, command you to live for this one, all-encompassing, life-transforming, joy-producing purpose—to love today with Jesus. We love because He first loved us and commanded us to love like He has loved us. Tomorrow we learn more about how He has loved us and what loving others looks like.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com