Love is a word with a wide breadth of definitions, or at least a wide range of uses. If you look up the word love on dictionary.com, you will find there are 14 noun definitions and 10 verb definitions. They range for liking something strongly to passionate desire to warm affection.
What do we mean when we say we love someone? Which definition are we using? Do you think about our meaning? Do you ever wonder if the person hearing you understands what definition you are using? How can we be sure we are understood when we use the word love?
John talks a lot about love. He most often uses the term agape, which is a deep level of affection. We often say unconditional love because we are told to have this type of love for everyone, including our enemies. John uses the same word in today’s passage right after he tells us we are to believe in the of Jesus.
He follows up by stating as we obey Jesus’ commands, He abides in us, and we know that by the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that amazing and helpful? We know we are loving correctly, and Jesus abides with us because Holy Spirit tells us. Which begs the question; are we hearing (or feeling) the Holy Spirit tell us that we are in sync with Jesus?
We can only be in sync with Him by obeying His commandments and love one another. Anything outside of those two things puts us in opposition to Him. It isn’t hard to understand, even if it may be challenging to follow through with. Being in sync with Jesus and having the Holy Spirit confirm that should be our top priority.
I pray we all strive to obey Jesus’ commands. I pray we love one another. I pray one of us seeks to be in sync with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit confirm it. Obey Jesus’ commands. Love one another. Abide with Jesus so Jesus will abide with you. Listen for the Holy Spirit.
1 John 3:23-24 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Marty Pressey 