No Greater Love

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (1)

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2) and manifesting His love to all mankind. "It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us... When we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts." (3)

Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me." (4) This promise of the Father and the Son coming to dwell in us is fulfilled when we keep His word. The word is, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of truth." (5)

We learn to love God when we begin to recognize His values. His values are lovingkindness, mercy, justice, truth and doing what is right. (6)

Consider the following contrasting values:

The list can go on and on. Jesus came to show us a better way; and then he guaranteed our acceptance by the Father of true values and freedom. It is the enemy of true values and freedom that creates havoc, destruction and death in our lives.

With God's Spirit living in us we are transformed more and more into His likeness, His values, His loving and kind ways. By rejecting His Spirit's pleading, we fall into the traps of the enemy of our souls.

"If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." (7)

1. John 15:12, 13.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:19.
3. Desire of Ages, p. 641.
4. John 14:23, 24.
5. John 14:15-17.
6. Jeremiah 9:23, 24 & Micah 6:8.
7. 1 John 4:12, 13.