November 30th, 1958 “The Love of God” Late Mr. N. Daniel

John 15:10

Jesus is giving His disciples the final message. He is telling them about the highest state of Christian life. To abide in God's love is the highest state. If you abide in His love, it will be good for you, your family and the society in which you live. Jesus was trying to lead His disciples to a place where they would permanently abide in His love, just as the tree always abides in the support of its roots. It is always receiving the sap from underneath. It does not do it for just ten minutes a day. It does not do it intermittently but it is always in contact with the roots. The vine branch is also like that. If you abide like that, you will be a power. You will bear much fruit. Verse 12. Some wonderful transformation takes place in the human nature and it becomes divine nature.

Romans 3:10 & 12 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one." That is the natural life. That poisonous nature is there. It will surface one day or other. The whole world is full of it. But we may not know it. Abel and Cain were loving brothers. But Cain did not know that he would go down to the dangerous level of killing his brother. We do not know to what depths we will go. Man does not know himself. The Bible says that we have a poisonous nature. We have heard that some sons killed their fathers; why? Would they have ever thought so? I don't think so. But murder is in the heart of man. It has not been displaced by love-seeds of Christ. It has not been displaced by the fear of God. The fear of God develops into faith in God. That faith develops into divine love. When you get that love, you do not know why you are ready to die for others. That is the love of God. You are ready to deny yourself to any extent. Jesus takes the poison from us and gives us His divine nature. The murderous nature is taken away and the sacrificial nature is given. That is the love-nature.

Jesus is telling the disciples about His love. They were loving one another but it was not a consistent continuous love. It was an intermittent love. He wanted to teach them an abiding love. There was Judas Iscariot. He could never grow into that love. There was Peter. There was intermittent love in Him. That was why he denied Christ. But Jesus wanted to make him love always. What is the way to love always? God gives the clue to us. In 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Note that carefully. We are coming into a hard discipline. There is something very important before you attain this state. What is that? Obedience to His commandments. Otherwise we cannot abide in His love permanently. To abide in His love is the greatest thing. 13:34 "I am giving you a new commandment that you should love one another." Why is it a new commandment? Was it not in the new code of conduct which Christ brought? When the disciples were ready to accept Him this commandment was given. He will not tell you a thing which you cannot do. It is a new commandment with regard to the disciples.

Always love. What is that love? A mother is always loving. When you come home, she looks after you. But if she never speaks about God, that is not real love. Such a mother does not know God's love. She does not know where to lead the child. If the son speaks a lie and she does not correct him, she is incapable of that love. If her brother converses with her about evil things, she does not ask him to stop it, thinking, “How can I offend my brother? I would rather throw my child into the river than offend my brother” – Yes, that is what she is doing.

There is no love of God in your house. The love of God keeps it holy. If you go to a place of godliness and go on talking negative things, you spoil that place. Some of us spoil the place where God's presence is. It is said 'fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' You may be a converted man. But you may not fit into a place charged with the presence of God. You will spoil that place. It is harmful for you and others. When you go to such a place, you should help to maintain that atmosphere. You do not know how much harm you are doing. When there is the love of God, it maintains the spiritual atmosphere in which prophets and priests are growing. Everyone should not rush into that place.

The devil-possessed man of Gadara, when he was healed, was not allowed to be with Jesus. He was not yet fit to be with the grown-up children, the disciples. Some want to be with God's children and spoil them. They do not know that they are pulling down their prayer life. They may be converted but they spoil the place which is filled with the love of God. A Jonah cannot be a companion of Elijah. If Elijah goes to Nineveh, Jonah may run in the opposite direction. You must keep up the love and holy atmosphere of places prepared for God. You must prepare yourself and come. When Judas went away, it meant a great freedom to the disciples. When Peter was happy for the anointing of Jesus, Judas was sad. One was full of love and the other was full of the thought of money. He was always thinking of money. Some come here with the devil's mind - being money-minded. God's love does not think of money. Many converted people do not know it. A man who only thinks about money belongs to the devil. There is not God's love in most of our converted people. If we have God's love, we will think of how to spread His work. God's love thinks of the salvation of sinners: “How shall I help that family? If it is God's will, money will come.”

Remember God's love. It is a creative power. It spends itself. Christ is telling the disciples about that love. Have you God's love? Have you the thought of spreading the gospel? If you don't have that desire, you don't have God's love. God's children are ready to give everything. When you go to a relative's house, you don't think of their riches. You are concerned for them: 'Oh, there is no fear of God in this house. No family prayer.' You will go to a comer and weep: 'Lord, come into this family. They have got everything here. But Thou art not here. This house is perishing, God!' That is love. When Jesus went to the house of Lazarus there was just enough faith to receive Him. When He rebuked one of the sisters and gave her the word of God, faith grew and it became love. They abode in the love of God. Love cancels death! If you abide in His love, you cancel death. You will foresee spiritual death. 14:21,23. It is God's desire to abide with you and in your house. Will you prepare the place? Why does He want to abide with you? He created you for Himself so that you will share His power with Him. John 17:20,21. If we are in Christ and Christ in God, we are all one. God wants that union. Are you growing in that love? Do you want your children to be happy? If you are not happy, how can they be happy? If you are ashamed of Him God will be ashamed of you when you are in need. Your own heart will not believe that God will help you. Can you call on God with faith? Do you want to be growing in faith? Obey my commandments. When He stood before the grave of Lazarus, Jesus abode in that love. Remember you are heaven's representative. There is a mighty power in your words. Your touch will work like magic. The circle of blessing will extend when you grow in that love. God wants you to be a mighty person. God's love wants you to be equal to Him. You are a daughter of God. You are not just assuming that position. You have to accept it. You are made for God. Your body is made for the love of God. He wants your love to abide in Him.