41. The Wonderful Love—

John 15:9 (NRSV) As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; 

abide in my love.

Even as the Father has loved Me—

Q: and how did the Father love Him?

The infinite desire and delight of God to communicate to the Son all He had Himself, to take the Son into the most complete equality with Himself, to live IN the Son and have the Son live IN Him—this was the love of God to Christ. It is a mystery of glory of which we have no concept—we can only bow and worship as we try to think of it. And with such a love, with this very same love, Christ longs in an infinite desire and delight to communicate to us ALL He is and has, to make us partakers of His own nature and blessedness, to live IN us and have us live IN Himself.

However, this question arises … if Christ loves us with such an intense and infinite Divine Love, what is it that hinders it triumphing over every obstacle and getting full possession of us?

… The answer is simple. Even as the Love of the Father to Christ, so His Love to us is a Divine Mystery, too high for us to comprehend or attain by any effort of our own. It is only God’s Holy Spirit Who can shed abroad and reveal in its all-conquering power without ceasing this wonderful Love of God in Christ. It is the vine itself that must give the branch its growth and fruit by sending up its sap. It is Christ Himself Who must by His Holy Spirit dwell in the heart—then we shall know and have in us the love that passes all understanding and knowledge.