The very fact that Jesus commanded this communicates that it can be done. Messiah does not demand the impossible. He’s saying, “Abide in My love”, not, “Reverse the law of gravity.” It is implicit within the command that we will be able to abide. We haven’t been asked to do something beyond our grasp. Abiding in His love can be done. In addition, this mandate tells us that God’s love is at hand; it is accessible. This is not the divine equivalent of ‘bait and switch.” Jesus is not teasing you. When we say, “Lord, I want to know your love,” He doesn’t reply, “Gotcha!” He will not say “Abide in My love” and then ignore you or treat you like He hates you.
We must look at this commandment within the context of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. This is not some foreign god, some cold, calloused indifferent being giving us a detached and arbitrary commandment. This command comes from Jesus, who gave His very life for us. If Jesus loved us enough to redeem us when we were in our worst state (Romans 5:10) then we can be confident that He wants us to know His love, that this can be done, and that His love is accessible to every one of us.
We must realize that knowing God’s love is not only a command, it is also a prize. It is worth fighting for. It is worth pursuing. We must see His love as something good which God has determined we should have. We must contend for this in our own lives. Yet many people experience obstacles that prevent them from pursuing this most wonderful prize.
One thing we must overcome is the natural tendency to ignore this love. The prophetic principle “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.” (Psalm 118:22) is fulfilled as we in our own wisdom pursue apparently noble goals and ignore the point of redemption. Eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). And in knowing Him, John 15:9 tells us He specifically wants us to know His love! The wisdom which puts the pursuit of God’s love on the shelf is actually earthly, soulish and demonic.
Another obstacle is “throwing the baby out with the bath water;” reacting against abuses and misuses rather than simply obeying scripture. There may be some who say, “I am abiding in God’s love,” but never hear God’s heart for anybody but themselves. This does not invalidate the call to abide. Some use the grace of God as a license to sin. Does that mean we shouldn’t receive God’s grace? Some use the Scriptures to hide from the Savior. Does that mean we shouldn’t study? Some want to “minister” so they may be admired by others. Does that mean we shouldn’t serve?
Some may use truths about God’s love as an excuse to stay in a perpetual state of spiritual infancy. However, I have seen the command to abide vindicated in the lives of sincere believers. If the thought of taking His invitation seriously and actually abiding in His love causes you to fear you’ll never accomplish anything, you’re wrong. Jesus stayed in an awareness of His Father’s love and effectively fulfilled His Father’s will. Jesus abided in His Father’s love and accomplished redemption. The end result of our relationship with Jesus’ love will also be redemptive labor.
Not only must we overcome our tendency to ignore God’s love, and overcome the propensity to overreact because of the failings of others, but we must also recognize that the cosmos and the spiritual forces behind creation are adverse to the knowledge of the love of God. In many ways the creation (in which death is active) is hostile towards the experience of knowing God’s love (eternal life). But Jesus shed His blood so that you may know this love and when we consider His resurrection we know that He has accomplished this victory.
Paul defiantly challenged creation, “Who shall separate us from this love?” The gauntlet thrown down, he enumerates our adversaries:
Romans 8:35-39 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Look at the vast array of forces potentially marshaled against this knowledge. Count them up. They are impressive. No wonder it took the Incarnation and Calvary to establish this victorious reconciled relationship over the hostile created order. How do we contend against these foes to maintain this relationship? We contend through abiding in the love of Jesus.
I have seen people that for all intents and purposes, are going through four levels of Gehenna and nothing can comfort them. They are inconsolable because the love of God for them has ceased to be, or never became, their prize. There is good news for the believer. When the prize and goal of life is to know the love of Jesus, then nothing can separate you from it. Indeed, nothing has the power to do it.
Jesus interacted with multitudes of religiously exhausted countrymen and said,
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
A good translation of the word that is translated “easy” (chrestos) is “kind.” Read the verse again: “My yoke is kind and My load is light.” Jesus said, “Come ... rest,” and many have gone to Jesus for the Sabbath of forgiveness and restored righteousness. Jesus is also inviting us “Come, abide in My love, rest in My love.”
Remember, the Person who has commanded us to live in His love is omnipotent. This Omnipotent One came to seek and save that which is lost because He loves us. The knowledge of this love is supposed to be a fundamental cornerstone of our awareness. This is the foundation of the Gospel: this glorious holy One loves us.
Every believer has a spiritual worldview. It is best to develop one deliberately rather than simply allowing it to happen. My suggestion is that you use God’s love (as expressed in the Bible) as your defining spiritual worldview – a means of interpreting life. I encourage you to actively pursue the knowledge of God’s love.
Consider this; most never actually take time to concentrate upon apprehending this love. Go for it and see what happens. Believe He exists and will reward you if you diligently seek Him about this matter. Engage your faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “without faith it is impossible to please Him. But he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him.” In response to Hebrews 11:6, take a step towards God.
“Lord Jesus, I believe that You are there. I believe You want me to experience Your love. Please help me.”
He will say, “Yes I will help you.”
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