True Love

Written by Alex Fortson

John 15:12-15: “12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” Did you know that there is a God-sized hole in every person's life? Oftentimes, that God-sized hole is temporarily filled with things of this world but with no success or satisfaction. The only thing that can fill this void in our lives is the true love of Jesus.

In this passage of scripture, we see Jesus command us to love others as He has loved us and then goes on to state His love for us. That Jesus loved us so much that He laid down His life for us. There is NO greater love than this. This is the epitome of true love. He states, “13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus is stating the definition of true love and then in the very next verse He says something that completely shifts the emotions of this text. Jesus goes on to say, “14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.” You are His friend. No longer are you a servant at the Master’s house, but a friend. This is the true love that we desire to pursue every day of our lives without realizing it. The love of a Master who laid down His life for His friends. 

Now what? Well, the love that is extended to us from Jesus needs to be extended to this world. Not the fake cultural love but the love of a friend laying down one’s life for another. A little less than half of the world has never clearly heard of this love. They feel lonely and without a friend. They feel broken and unloved. They feel afraid and scared of love because this world and even the church has represented the love of Jesus wrongly. It is our job to live out the true love of Jesus everywhere we go and to every person we encounter. 

On this Valentine's Day, who can you show the love of Jesus to? Maybe a friend, co-worker, family member, or maybe even a spouse. Always remember that there is no other love than the true love of Jesus.
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