Love one another

"As the Father has loved me, so have i loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as i have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things i have spoken to you, and that your joy may be full. this is my commandment, that you love one another as i have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what i command you." John 15: 9 - 14

Christ is the Son of God's love, the bearer, the revealer, the communicator of that love. His life and death were all love. Love is His life, and the life He gives. He only lives to love, to live out His life of love in us, to give Himself in all who will receive Him. the very first thought of the true Vine is Love - living only to impart His life to the branches.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love. He cannot impart Christ's life without imparting His love. Salvation is nothing but love conquering and entring into us; we have just as much salvation as we have of love. full salvation is perfect love.

No wonder Christ said: "A new commandment i give unto you"; "This is my commandment" - the one all-inclusive commandment - "that ye love one another." The branch is not only one with the vine, but with all its other branches; they drink one spirit, they form one body, they bear one fruit. Nothing can be more unnatural than that Christians should not love one another, even as Christ loves them. the life they received from their heavenly Vine is nothing but love. This is the one thing He asks above all others. "Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples ... love one another." As the special sort of vine is known by the fruit it bears, the nature of the heavenly Vine is to be judged by the love His disciples have for one another.

See that you obey this commandment. Let your "obey and abide" be seen in this. love your brothers as the way to abide in the lofe of your Lord. let your vows of obedience begin here. Love one another. Let your conversation with Christians in your own family be holy, tender, Christlike love. Let your thoughts of the Christians around you be, before everything, in the spirit of Christ's love. Let your life and conduct be the sacrifice of love - give yourself up to think of their sins or their needs, to intercede for them, to help and to serve them. Be in your church or circle the embodiment of Christ's love. the life of Christ lives in you is love; let the life in which you live it out be all love.

- Andrew Murray