Understanding Our Father’s “Great Love” 

John 15:12] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

[14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Oftentimes, when someone loses their life to save someone else, they are sometimes awarded a ‘medal of honor,’ or counted with an act of Valor for their sacrifice. Understanding and appreciating our Father’s love, and the Lord’s love is what Paul means when he says in Ephesians chapter 3: 

17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 
[18] May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 
[19] And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

 This is the “power” that we too are taught to fully understand and appreciate, and to walk in, and to live by. And by knowing the love of Christ, we sould know that Their Great Love is selfless, and that we were created to operate upon this type of selflessness, but we must first renew our minds from the carnal things of this world that we love with our own ‘carnal selflessness,’ and ‘perceive’ that if the things that we love are of no use to our Father, then they ought to be of no use to us as well.  

Matt.10:36] And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 

[37] He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 

Moreover, our Father knows that we know how to love someone “more than” we love another, and as we see in the verses above, the Lord taught His Apostles His “greater love.” The Lord used those who man would give his life for in verse 37, and what He wanted them to understand was that, even though they would “lay down their life” for those listed in verse 37, there is only One who would lay down His life for their sakes, and give them eternal life; the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are taught throughout the word of God this selflessness by our Father, and as the Lord Jesus Christ also taught His Apostles about the “greater love,” we too are “beseeched” to walk in their selfless love.  This is well pleasing unto God, and walking according to godliness for Christ’s sake is being that living sacrifice that God calls us to be in Christ.  

Eph.2:4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 

Rom.8:7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

Rom.8:12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 

[13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

Furthermore, just as Paul says, those that are “led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” as we live our Sanctified lives in Christ. And the vital aspect of being a son of a God Who is selfless, is being in His Likeness in love. And being a “debtor” to ‘live AFTER the Spirit’ means that our life ought to be lived with the understanding that we are “debtors” unto God who gave unto us eternal life, and His Word, and the life of His Son,  and now we can live, and be led by His Spirit (Word) as the “sons of God,” and not led by, and continuing to li e after our flesh as we see in the verses above. And a “son” who lives his life as a debtor unto his father would labor “with” him. He would follow his instructions, and live his way, and a son would also live a life that is well pleasing unto his father, we too are taught Christ’s selflessness unto the Father and we being “in Christ” ought to walk in His identity.  

Rom.8:15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 

[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Finally, as Romans chapter 8:28 says, “all things work together for good to them that love God,” and this is the case for those who truly love God with His selfless love. Notice it also says, “to them who are the called according to his purpose.” The called according to His purpose are those who live their lives for Christ’s sake, and according to the purpose of God as a debtor because of selfless love, and desires to be led by the Spirit’s edifying, and having the Spiritual mind, which is well pleasing unto Him. And when we walk in this doctrine which is according to godliness, sufferings will come up in our lives, and when they do, we will learn to glory in our sufferings with His Holy Word, and we will get the “salvation” from those sufferings by His Word, and THEN “all things” will “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” This is the “power” that Paul desired that would “rest upon” him, it was operating upon Christ’s greater love, and ‘laying down his life’ for Christ’s sake, this is how we are taught, and how we should desire to Love our lives as those who are “being conformed to the image of His Son.” 

Rom.8:28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

[29] For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Rod Jones