"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
John 15:9-12
We often hear the last verse of this group quoted in lessons or talks, and I even wrote a scripture of the day about that verse only the first year that I did the scripture of the day. Today, though, it seems impossible to pull it out of context. Christ asks us to continue in his love, and then he tells us how... keep his commandments. And then he tells us that the reason he is asking us to do these things is so that we can retain his joy, and be full of joy... and then he tells us that his commandment is to love each other... the way that he loves us.
All of the scriptures together seem to paint a different picture than taking any of the verses alone. Together, they seem to say that the whole point of obedience and commandments is so that we can be filled with love and joy. I like that image. :) And the commandment that will lead to these things is to love each other, not the way we usually love each other, which is sporadic, inconsistent, and incredibly biased... but the way *he* loves us, which is always, consistent, and all-encompassing. Today, let's try to continue in God's love by loving each other. :)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
John 15:9-12
We often hear the last verse of this group quoted in lessons or talks, and I even wrote a scripture of the day about that verse only the first year that I did the scripture of the day. Today, though, it seems impossible to pull it out of context. Christ asks us to continue in his love, and then he tells us how... keep his commandments. And then he tells us that the reason he is asking us to do these things is so that we can retain his joy, and be full of joy... and then he tells us that his commandment is to love each other... the way that he loves us.
All of the scriptures together seem to paint a different picture than taking any of the verses alone. Together, they seem to say that the whole point of obedience and commandments is so that we can be filled with love and joy. I like that image. :) And the commandment that will lead to these things is to love each other, not the way we usually love each other, which is sporadic, inconsistent, and incredibly biased... but the way *he* loves us, which is always, consistent, and all-encompassing. Today, let's try to continue in God's love by loving each other. :)
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