Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 13:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."
Jesus was sent by God, His Father. When we receive Him as the way, the truth, and the life, we are receiving God. As we live to love with Jesus, we are sent by Jesus to love in His name. The one who receives our love receives Him. It is also encouraging to know that when we receive our fellow believers we are receiving Jesus. It takes humility to love with Jesus and to be loved by Jesus. The salient point is that love for Jesus, for His glory, is why we love and receive our brothers. It’s not determined by how we feel about them. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus today.

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

From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.
Let’s be watching for what Jesus told His disciples was going to happen. Who can foretell events before they happen but God? Surely that’s what He meant when He said, “So…you may believe that I am He.” In a matter of minutes Jesus said it this way. “Do not let your heart be troubled. If you believe in God then believe also in Me” (John 14:1). If we believe Jesus is God, then we who believe in Jesus have the life of God dwelling inside of us! He who knows the end from the beginning and sustains everything by the power of His word lives to love in us! Let’s give Him access to all that we are for His glory.

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

John 13:18 I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'
Those who try to do these things—that is try to serve without Jesus are not blessed if they do them. He has Judas in mind, of course, when He said, “I do not speak of all of you.” This is a marvelous statement. Judas was chosen, not to live to love with Him, but to fulfill Psalms 41:9. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” Judas was necessary to the salvation work. There will be other Judases in the church who are necessary to God’s sanctifying work in our lives. Was Jesus deceived when He trusted Judas? No. Was He misled when God lead Him to invite him to eat and walk with Him? No. He entrusted Himself to His Father in whose love He did abide. Like Jesus, we receive the Judases into our midst and trust our loving and wise Father’s administration of our affairs.

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

John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
What are “these things” we know to do? That Jesus, our Master and Teacher has given us an example of love for each other: humble service to those who belong to Jesus. That if Jesus humbled Himself to serve us, we ought to follow His example.
What is the blessing if we do what we know is right? We are blessed with a clear conscience. We are blessed as we experience Jesus’ love for His own. We are blessed as we experience Jesus’ joy in our obedience. We are blessed when we know Jesus’ body is being cared for. We are blessed because the glory of God rests upon us. Can you think of some other blessings? Please write them in the comments.

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

Welcome to today’s live to love scripture encouragement from John 13:16. Jesus had just washed His disciples’ feet and in this verse is continuing to explain what they are to deduce from it. “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.”
Jesus is our master and teacher. We are His friends who are sent to live to love with Him. If Jesus humbled Himself to serve His body and sent us out to do the same, then so should we humbly serve His body because we are not greater than He. Jesus was saying that He was sent by the Father and therefore it is logically assumed that He is not greater than the Father. In the same way, as we live to love in Jesus’ name we are saying that Jesus sent us and that He is greater than we are. Let’s make Jesus’ name great today as we love with Him.

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