“You are My friends if you do what I command you.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15:14‬ ‭NASB2020

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​‬‬Not only is love and obedience connected but the friendship of Jesus is also connected to obedience and love. So what has he commanded that we are to obey?


“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:12-17‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.15.13-17.NASB2020


That we love one another! That's the easy part but Jesus adds a qualifier, “as I have loved you.” We are to love one another as Jesus has loved us. This supersedes the golden rule and becomes the platinum rule. Remember the golden rule? Treat others the way you want to be treated. Now, we are to love one another as Jesus has loved us. We are to love the world as the world loves us! Their rule is to treat others the way they feel they have been treated. 


So what does it look like to love one another as Jesus has loved us? We must lay down our life just as Jesus did. Death is the most obvious answer but it is not the only answer. Yes, to lay down your own life so another can live is the greatest love, but we are not all called to do this. But all of us are called to lay down the comfortable life for a life filled with compassion and desire to help our fellow friends. Jesus gave up a house and bed to teach the 12 disciples how to live the life pleasing to God. How much the more should we give up the comforts of this life to help others? 


“And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8:20‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/mat.8.20.NASB2020


“And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:58‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/luk.9.58.NASB2020


“And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day; it was about the tenth hour.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1:37-39‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.1.37-39.NASB2020


Have you stayed with Jesus till the tenth hour?



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