Heritage Reformed Congregation

                                Franklin Lakes, New Jersey     

                 

 Mr. Kuivenhoven and Mr. Bosch's messages are now online!       

                                

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In our last meditation we considered Christian love. This time, we will meditate briefly on the most astounding statement about God's love to us in all the Bible. To Jesus' disciples, past and present, the Savior declares, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you." Let those words sink in a moment. Who can begin to measure or fathom the vast, infinite love between the Father and the Son? But there, in Jesus' own words, is the astounding truth, "...so have I loved you." Can any love be compared with that love? 

 

Our Lord continues by saying, "...continue ye in my love."  How? "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."  This is not saying we fall into and out of His love through obedience and disobedience.  But plainly, from such passages as Isaiah 59:2, we understand Him to mean the enjoyment of His love. And it is clear that our Lord would have us to be filled with the joy that comes with His love.

 

But God's love doesn't stand alone. It is a begetting love. When speaking more specifically about what commandment He would have us keep, Jesus says, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." Why is this so important to Him? Because this love, springing out of His love to us, is a beautiful reflection of His love, a lovely part of that blessed image-bearing we are called to be and do as born again children of our heavenly Father.

Thought for the week:

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment" (1 John 3:23).