the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Bowen's Daily Meditations
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." - John 15:10.
Christ’s love takes us as it finds us; but it does not leave us so. If it did not make us better, it would not be Christ’s love, but just common earth-love. There are two mighty chapters in the history of Christ’s love. One relates to the means by which he brings us to himself, the other to the means by which he keeps us with himself. After we have been brought to him, a sublime work expands itself before him. We are to be made like unto himself. He will not rest until he has communicated unto us his own perfections. These souls so loved are to be made lovely. Christ would not be worthy of our continued regard, if he left us to follow our own evil will; and the whole story of his love would turn out a mere legend, if he taught us not to honor the commandments of God. But this reproach cannot be brought against Christ. Keep my commandments, he says, and abide in my love.
This is a different language from that of Sinai. It is not the language of authority, so much as of love. The speaker and his friend are taking counsel together as to the best mode of perpetuating the hallowed sentiment by which they are bound. " I cannot support the idea," says the friend, " of any interruption to this love. Tell me how it may be made immortal, unchangeable." " I will tell you. Keep my commandments. They shall be to you like an amulet, or mystic ring; so long as it remains with you, I cannot leave you." " Oh! how delightful," exclaims the friend, " that there should be commandments, expressive of thy will, and indicative of the way of abiding in thy love. For it is the life of love, to have something to do for its object, to have commandments to keep. These commandments will keep us bound to one another. For thou hast said, "Without me ye can do nothing." So I am to do nothing alone. Thy commandments remove me from thee? No! not for an instant; they will but draw me more and more closely to thee!"
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