“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9). “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins…” (Rev. 1:5).
Lord Jesus, help us drink in the wonder and implications of these three verbs: Loved… Loves… Freed—especially since we are the ones being addressed. Hallelujah, on this April Friday!
How is it possible that you love us just as much as the Father loves you—to the same degree, with the same delight, for the same eternity? Make this astonishing truth more real than ever to us, for it changes everything. And supersize our assurance of the freedom you have won for us: Freedom from sin’s penalty, condemnation, power and, ultimately from its very presence.
As these Gospel-truths go deeper into our hearts…
- People’s opinions about us will matter less—both their judgments and their flattery.
- Satan’s lies, accusations, and seductions will be easier to recognize and reject.
- We’ll see others through the lens of your grace, while keeping our eye-log clearly in view.
- We’ll invest in living on mission more than we obsess about retiring with enough money.
- We’ll recognize your heart and hand at work in our most painful betrayals and shameful failures.
- In our most challenging relationships, we’ll be more likely to give grace than get even.
- Our craving for heaven will intensify—less because we want to get out of this “mess”; more because we simply want to be with you.
Jesus, no wonder you command us to “abide in your love”—to make your love our permanent address, the air we breathe, the bread we consume, the sheets between we sleep. May it be, Lord. What a fabulous address… “777 Jesus’ Steadfast Love”—the grace-haven where we fellowship with you, prostrate ourselves in adoring love, process our hurts, and become more like you. Hallelujah and So Very Amen.
