![]() ![]() The Bible has a lot to say about friendship. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But Jesus said, “ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” ( John 15:11) What Does it Mean to Lay Down Your Life for Others? There’s no ticket to an easy life on this earth. The gift of grace, salvation, and forgiveness reigns in lives surrendered to Christ. We allow and understand the pruning in our lives, the removal of all that distracts us from a singular focus on Him, alone. We submit our pre-conceived notions and societal expectations for His will in our lives our selfish desires for His Kingdom purposes. Not necessarily on a cross, but through one we carry to Him daily as we lay down our sins, guilt, and shame. This type of love calls us to lay down our lives, as Jesus did His. The Holy Spirit, living in every believer, translates the aches and praises of our hearts to God in prayer and faithfully counsels and comforts us. Jesus, the living Word of God, was there at the beginning and now sits at the right hand of the Father. We spend a lot of time worrying about self-worth even though God proclaims we are worthy ( Psalm 139). Who spoke the world into existence and knit each of us in our mother’s womb. Everything He does and allows is meant to draw us closer to Him. Jesus loves us selflessly, having chosen to die for us knowing fully we would not always love Him in return. “Jesus didn’t cast Christianity as a glorified clique,” explains Marshall Segal, “but as a contagious love that compels people to come and see.” We talk a lot about unity in our world today and strive for peace. Jesus died, willingly and sacrificially, once for all. ![]() John 3:16 reminds us, He came for the world. To send His one and only Son to sacrifice His life on our behalf is the greatest love story of all time. There is no greater love than the love the Father has for us. What Does This Type of Love Mean for You and Me? And he can be those for us, even though we are sinners, because he removed the wrath of God by laying down his life for us.” “Jesus laid down his life for his friends,” John Piper explains, “Jesus is the pattern and the power of that love. Submitting our plans, we instead allow our lives on earth to serve as a conduit to spread the love of Christ to the people He has purposefully placed in our paths. When we choose to live life within the love of Christ, we are able to accept and receive the gift of God’s love. God prunes our hearts, sanctifying us daily as we draw closer to Him. This type of love is almost indescribable, a product of the very character of God, who is perfect love. This love, according to, “refers to a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good.” Contrary to the way the world loves selfishly, Jesus loved selflessly and taught His followers to aim for the same. ![]() The love Christ introduced is agape love. ![]() “The vine and the vineyard were old sacred imaged in Judaism,” the NIV Application Commentary explains, “The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit.” “ I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener,” John recorded Jesus saying. Christ Jesus used the illustration of a good gardener pruning plants so they produce good fruit. This phrase occurs during Jesus’ sermon about the Vine and the Branches. What Is the 'No Greater Love Is This' Spoken of in John 15? Through Jesus, we embrace this greater love and allow it to flow through our lives, by His power. Jesus came to earth, love incarnate, on a mission to define love, walk out love, and die out of love. Imperfect people befriending imperfect people is complicated and hard, but Jesus assures us it’s possible to love each other as He loved us. “ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 ![]()
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