Have you heard this scripture?
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 1:21
What about this one?
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love…” John 15:9-10
How is it possible to ‘keep ourselves or to continue in’ God’s love? God has given us His love. And we know that He will never withdraw it because He didn’t just pour out an emotion one time, He poured out His very self, because God actually IS love!
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5
“And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16
The first step in being able to abide in God’s love is to believe His love abides in us. His love for us will never change or leave us. We must trust that this is an eternal reality, whether we feel it or not. However, we must also understand that since God has given us love that will never fade, it is up to us to recognize His love and receive it. This is not a onetime event! I have come to realize this is about relationship, and therefore, I have a part to play in whether or not I experience the love of God.
(Many people do not believe they can experience God’s love beyond an intellectual awareness). Others continually claw striving to ‘feel’ it emotionally. I have been on both ends of the spectrum. But now I realize how practical it really is, to keep myself in the love of God. Again, it’s all about relationship. I know God loves me, but it is up to me to recognize it, receive it and experience it. Once I had a fresh revelation of this truth.
My husband had once surprised me with some flowers one day he came home from work. Well, immediately I experienced his love for me. But all week long, as those flowers were in a vase on my dining room table, I was reminded of his love. He didn’t just love me the moment he decided to bring flowers home, and I knew that. He always loves me; therefore, I can still experience his love, by keeping myself in his love. And that is what I did, each time I glanced over and saw the vase of flowers. I was even doing it subconsciously, because I trusted His love for me.
In the same way, God always loves us, and has demonstrated it in Jesus, we can keep ourselves or abide in His love continually. We can always have what He has done for us fresh in our hearts. That is exactly what the Apostle Paul prayed we’d be able to do. He tells us we can truly experience God’s love, and in doing so we experience God Himself!
“…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19
Some ways we can keep ourselves in the love God has for us:
- Consistently read God’s Word – it is His love letter to you
- Pray, and pray in the Spirit – prayer is communion with God
- Worship -magnifies God’s presence
- Intentional thanksgiving- magnifies God’s goodness in your heart
- Take communion regularly-intentional reminder of God’s love demonstrated in Jesus