HOW TO REMAIN IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST - PART 2

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2024

We hear a great deal about the love of Christ. But to participate in it, it would entail fulfilling God's will, in line with the referenced Scripture below.

Reference: John 15:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

"If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."

Whenever I read this versified reference, what comes to mind is that, "I've been given the privilege to remain in His love." We cannot bring Christ a greater pleasure or remain dear to His very heart, if we do not obey His Word and function in His love. Understand that Jesus was ready to stoop to any humiliation point in order to effect the divine purpose for mankind on earth. Yes, so intense was His heart's desire to win the world to His love, that He stooped down and made Himself of zero reputation just to gain our souls rather than lose us. He descended from heaven and lowered Himself to the point of suffering and dying a shameful death on our behalves.

This is how Paul explained Christ's humility and humiliation: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8 NIV).

Now notice how, in the above versified text, there are enlightening information revealed, as if they are substantially different ideas, yet it's mainly three aspects of important thoughts: To begin with, Christ made Himself lower than God. Secondly, He was caught up in appearance as a man on earth, and thirdly, in our realm of human nature, He chose the very nature of a servant. His humanity made it possible for Him to walk the earth, while His servanthood inspired His humility to the point of death. Got it? There was no special moment to make up for His lack of advantage, in terms of dropping His equality with Supreme Deity. He was all out as a servant - lacking supreme prestige and majestic influence.

One sentence I want to leave about the responsibility of our co-operation with meeting the need of keeping His commandments and obeying His teaching is this: We have been enabled by the grace of God, to function like Christ on earth, in order to see the accomplishment of His results in our lives. Where 2nd Corinthians 5:14 says, "For the love of Christ controls us, it means that His love exerts a superior control. Therefore, when you obey the Word, you come under the governing influence of His love, which He demonstrated on the cross, just as He (Christ) was governed by the influence of God's will, while on earth. That's the reason, the latter part reads, "that one died for all, therefore all died." Got it?

To expound further, let's solemnly consider the magnitude of the control of Christ's love in our quiet times or for a moment, by contemplating the truth that He died for all, and therefore all died. Stay tuned for part 3. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Romans 5:5; Romans 5:8; Romans 5:19; Hebrews 5:8.

Guided Prayer:

Gracious Father, I honour you today because I'm greatly overwhelmed by your lovingkindness. I'm forever grateful for the love of Christ which is the qualitative element for drowning the sins of mankind. I live to follow Christ, and experience the brightness of His glory through the Word, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

HABAKKUK 2:2-3 (MSG)