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Observation

The whole of scripture, the entire commandments of God, are summed up in this one small sentence – “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” The Father loves the Son, the Son loves us in the same manner of love, now we love each other with this love. To love I must remain loved. The focus is loving others as the Father loves, the key is remaining in His love. You cannot love with the Father’s love if you have not been loved by the Father’s love.

In the old covenant, we were to “love others as we love ourselves.” Here Jesus replaces the old covenant with the new way of love, “love others as I have loved you.” This is why the invitation to “remain” is so critical. You can’t love like him if you don’t remain loved by him. When we love like God every other commandment naturally is fulfilled in the overflow. Think about it, if you love others the way Jesus loves you, you don’t need any other direction, you don’t need any other motivation, the natural overflow of loving the way He loves fulfills all the laws you could muster and negates the need for all the punishments you could manipulate with. This is why God closes the law book forever. He makes me right in Jesus with Himself and then loves me into the life of love. No need for law and punishment, just an invitation to remain loved.

Application

I will deal with all the issues that undermine the Father’s love for me. I will seek awareness of and silence all voices that separate me from being in His love. I will diligently create a rhythm of life where I remain in His love. I will not settle for any life that is less than the life of being His beloved and being His love.

Response

Thank you that you love me so unconditionally, without cause, without frustration, just fully and forever your posture is to pour out your love upon me. Thank you that you call me to remain in your love. This is the call of life you give me, ‘remain loved by me.’ What a life, being loved and then being love, does it get any better than this? What a great story, that I am connected to love itself, that through me this love might flow to others. I know what life is about and I have all I need to love it. I am blessed.

Meditation

Meditation truth – “Remain in my love.”

Consider

Do you feel and respond to God as a lawgiver or a lover?

How under attack is the love of the Father in your life? What are the stories, voices, core truths that challenge you being loved by Him and remaining in His love?