From the Community-Week 6
Frankie shares: “No words can adequately convey really what Jesus conveyed so perfectly in John 14-17. John 15 says so much more to me than I could express here. All I know is the Word is changing me, and it is His doing.”
” Jesus so beautifully laid out in John 14-17 His plan for walking in His way, living in His truth, being transformed by His life, and pursuing true knowledge of Him as His true disciples through the power of His Word, His love, and His Holy Spirit toward true unity that makes Him known in this world.”
“John 15—Abiding in Christ (Phil 3:9, Col. 2:10) the true Vine is ongoing communion and unbroken fellowship with His sustaining life, His Word, and His love. The Holy Spirit gives life in unfolding revelation. His Word has power to cleanse (v.3), adjust, bring to maturity, and inspire my prayers (v.7). I want to dwell richly in His Word and have his Word dwell vitally in me (Col. 3:16), to be adjusted, to pray according to His will (v.7), and in so doing receive what I ask. His Word thus can bring a fruitful harvest through prayer, bring glory to Father, invoke worship of Him (v.8), and give evidence of His faith alive in me as His disciple. His love motivates not only to sacrificial service (agape, chesed) but to the pursuit of friendship (phileo) with — true knowledge (v. 15) of — Jesus the Son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit in presence and power to produce His Kingdom fruit (Gal. 5:22) and enable me to be about His Kingdom business.”
“How irresistible is Jesus’ love!—the same love with which Father loved Him (v.9). It is not conditional upon my obedience but inspires my obedience, just as it inspired Jesus to obey and come into the fullness of joy, that same joy He wants me to experience to the full (vv.10-11)! To love one another (agape, chesed, phileo) is the eternal fruit of abiding in Him, who is Love (I John 4:16). For this I was chosen and appointed. The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ, who promises to remain in me as I remain, stay, dwell, abide, rest in Him (v.4) for His powerful life, Word, and love.”