Abide in the Love of Christ John 15:9-11 Devotional

In this devotional, we’ll read John 15:9-11 and learn how to abide in the love of Christ. And how this Bible Verse is a reflection of God’s unconditional love for all Christians.

What does it mean to abide in the love of Christ?

The word abide isn’t used very often in our modern vocabulary. But it’s a word that sparks my imagination. When I hear it, I think of cozy family dinners or intimate conversations with close friends.

And I would like to think my relationship with Jesus is just as cozy and intimate. I want to feel a real connection between us instead of living out a ritual I was taught as a young child.

So, how can we develop the close relationship we desire and abide in the love of Christ?

The words of Jesus in John chapter 15 tell us how…

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

                                                        John 15:9-11 NKJV

 

Abide in My love meaning

The word abide means to continue, remain in, or dwell.

So, if we abide in Christ’s love, we make His love our dwelling place and remain with Him always. He is with us, and we are with Him.

And in the message of this scripture, we find three key points that teach us how to abide in Christ’s love and make Him our permanent dwelling place. Let’s look at each one together.

Abiding Love

First, Jesus tells us He loves us just as the Father loves Him.

What an amazing gift to receive! Because the love the Father has for the Son is a perfect abiding love. It is faithful and true.

This perfect love abides with us too! It is an expression of who Jesus is to us, our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.

The salvation we have through faith in Jesus is only possible because of His great abiding love for us!

And once we have the gift of salvation, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to abide in us.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

                                                       John 14:16-17 NKJV

 

This is where abiding love comes full circle. The Father loved the Son and sent Him to save us. The Son loved us, so He came and died in our place. Then He asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and become our Helper.

As we can clearly see, each part of the Trinity plays a part in the abiding love of Christ.

Read More: Why Should We Love One Another? 1 John 4:7

Keep My Commandments

Second, Jesus explains, when we keep His commandments that’s when we abide or remain in His love.

If we are obedient to Christ and His teaching, then we can have the intimate relationship with Him we’re looking for.

I know, the idea of obedience is not a popular one these days. But to obey Jesus is to love Him. Let’s read this scripture about keeping His commandments.

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

                                                    1 John 3:24 ESV

 

Again, the Holy Trinity is represented in full. We have God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit abiding all with us.

It’s a mutual relationship between the Trinity and the believer that starts with us being obedient to the teaching of our Savior. And it ends with the next part of the verse.

My joy may remain in you

Lastly, Jesus tells us, when we are obedient to Him, His joy will remain in us.

And Jesus doesn’t want to give us a little bit of joy. He wants to give us a full measure of it. His joy is a complete joy, overflowing with love and full of acceptance.

But to receive His joy, Jesus asks us to obey Him just as He obeyed the Father. Then we will have His joy just like in this Bible Verse…

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

John 17:13 NIV

This is the prayer Jesus prayed over His disciples. But He prayed it for us too. That we would have the full measure of His joy within us. And know the deep and abiding love He has for us every day.

Read More: In His Presence is Fullness of Joy Psalm 16:11

What is the importance of abiding in Christ?

A loving relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing we will ever have.

Yet, in the fast-paced modern world we live in, we can get caught up in chasing the things of this world and forget to be still and abide in the love of Christ.

But when we set aside worldly things and dwell in Him, we can truly experience what it means to abide in the love of Christ and have the fullness of joy through Him.

What is the meaning of abide in love?

Simply put, to abide in the love of Christ means to love Jesus and to be loved by Him. Just as the Father loved the Son, Jesus loves us. It sounds so easy yet seems so complicated.

Whatever you may be going through in life, Jesus wants you to continue to experience the joy of your salvation. And He wants to have a close and personal relationship with you.

So, I pray you will learn to obey the commandments of Jesus and understand what it means to follow Him in everything you do.

Then, through your obedience and love for Him, you will abide in the love of Christ and have the fullness of joy today!

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