We have such a tendency to put the cart before the horse…to put obligation before impartation.
Let’s uncover a crucial key to walking in love and see if we can get first things first. This one truth makes all the difference!
In my Bible study through the years I’ve obtained a lot of insight by researching the meaning of words. After reading this you’ll recognize the double meaning of My Word Study and likewise see my love of words. I admit it’s a bit of an obsession. Finding the meaning of words has proved to be anything but boring. It has revealed liberating truth and exposed enslaving error.
In my recent post, Begin with God, we focused on the scripture in John 15:12 where Jesus told His disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you.” We discussed the need to change our thinking concerning this commandment by shifting our focus from what we are to do and onto what He has done….magnifying and emphasizing the fact that He first loved us. Now let’s do a bit of a “word study” on the meaning of the seemingly insignificant word “as” in this verse. I believe it will provide additional help in regard to this commandment and will reinforce what we have already seen concerning our need to begin with God.
Let’s look at what can be learned from the little word “as”.
In Begin With God we already discovered great help along these lines, but let’s dig deeper still. What else can we discover from investigating the meaning of “as”?
as – used in comparisons to indicate the way something is done.
By this definition, when Jesus said, “…love… as I have loved you”, He was making a comparison. The nature of a comparison is in noting the similarity between the things being compared. So, what was He comparing? How we should love others… compared to… how He has loved us. Therefore it would be important for us to understand how He loved us. Thankfully, recorded just three verses prior to John 15:12, He had told them.
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you…” John 15:9
Notice that this is the exact same pattern He gave us! Remember, in comparing we are looking to see what our love for others and His love for us have in common. How are they similar? Both BEGIN WITH GOD!
Jesus gave what He had FIRST received.
It’s no coincidence that Jesus began His ministry with a voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son…” Matthew 3:17
This was His starting point. The Father had boldly proclaimed His great love for His Son. With this Jesus began. The foundation of His love for us was in knowing that He was loved of God. He began His ministry of total obedience to the commandment of God not by God audibly speaking a command from heaven, but by God speaking of His great love for Him. Recall another time the audible voice of God was heard from heaven. As recorded in Exodus 20:1-22 and in Deut. 4:36, the Israelites also heard the voice of God at Mt. Sinai, but what they heard was a command. How did that work for them in providing power to obey? Not very well, for within forty days they had broken the command He’d spoken.
A commandment reveals the will of God but does not provide the power to obey it.
So again…. Let’s redirect our concentration from what we must do for God and focus it on what He has done for us. Let’s put first things first. First receive…in order to give.
Let’s love as Jesus did…by knowing that we are loved.
You have the ability to shed light on what seems to be such an elementary principle. It’s where we all should begin…with God. But in actuality it is covered up by many layers of…good intentions gone wrong? I don’t know why it is buried so deep or seems to be. While I typed the last sentence it came to me…the enemy has sure put on a show in this very arena. What, with his cycle of guilt and condemnation he has managed to heap piles and piles of untruths on that principle.
By the way, not only is it exhausting “trying” so hard to be good and love the way we should; it seems that simultaneously we are filled with PRIDE. So, here we are trying to DO something and all these people around us can’t even see how good and holy we are by stepping out and trying to DO something:) So crystal clear once it is revealed. Thank you Lord for your never ending waterfall of forgiveness.
Thanks, Amy. You’re so right. When we make it about what we do instead of what He’s done, pride or condemnation are the only two results. Funny when you think about it, huh?