Introduction

Good morning, beloved congregation. I trust you are all well and feeling the warmth of God's love surrounding you this day. Today, we find ourselves on the precipice of profound spiritual discovery, standing at the threshold of understanding a deeper truth about the love of Christ, our connection to Him, and the continuity of His love.

As we gather here, let's take a moment to remember the words of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon, who once said, "I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need." This statement, simple yet profound, encapsulates the essence of our faith. We are in great need of Christ's love, and in Him, we find an abundant, never-ending source to meet our need.

Our Scripture passage today is John 15:9-17 (NIV), which reads: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s 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 so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."

What does it mean to remain in Christ's love? How does this love influence our lives? How does it shape our interactions with others? These are the questions we will seek to answer today as we unpack the richness of this passage.

Now, let us bow our heads in prayer. Father God, we thank You for Your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We come before You today, seeking to understand more of Your love, as revealed through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Open our hearts and minds, Lord, to receive the truth of Your Word. May it penetrate our hearts, transforming us from the inside out. We ask this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the Lord guide us as we seek to understand His Word better. May we be like the Bereans, who received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Let us not merely listen to the Word, but let us do what it says, for faith without works is dead.

Christ's Choice of Love

In the passage we read, we see a profound declaration from Jesus. He says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you." This is a powerful statement. It's not just about the depth of His love, but also about the choice He made to love us. It's a love that mirrors the love between the Father and the Son, a love that is deep, eternal, and unchanging.

Jesus didn't have to love us. He chose to. He chose to leave the glory of heaven, to become a man, to live among us, to suffer and die for us. That was a choice. And it was a choice motivated by love. This love wasn't based on our worthiness or our goodness. It wasn't because we deserved it. Now, let's look at the implications of this choice.

First, it means that we are deeply loved. We are not loved because we are good enough, or because we have earned it. We are loved because Jesus chose to love us. This love is not dependent on our actions or our worthiness. It is a steadfast, unchanging love that remains, no matter what.

Second, this choice of love means that we have a secure place in His heart. We are not outsiders or strangers. We are not guests or visitors. We are loved ones, chosen ones, ones who have a place in His heart. This is a place of security, a place of belonging, a place of acceptance.

Third, this choice of love means that we have a purpose. Jesus didn't just choose to love us, He chose us for a purpose. He says, "I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." We are not just recipients of His love, we are also carriers of His love. We are called to bear fruit, to live lives that reflect His love, to make a difference in the world around us.

Finally, this choice of love means that we have access to His resources. Jesus says, "whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." Because we are loved, because we are chosen, we have access to the resources of heaven. We can ask in His name, and the Father will give to us. This is not a blank check for our selfish desires, but a promise to provide for our needs as we seek to fulfill the purpose for which we have been chosen.

Consistency in Our Connection with Christ

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