The Call to Live in Him
The sermon encourages listeners to trust in God's love and strength to enable them to love Him, and to respond to His call to abide in Him with bright and joyous hope.
Mary Wilder Tileston, through the words of Andrew Murray and John McLeod Campbell, emphasizes the command of love to abide in Jesus, which is a promise filled with hope and joy. The invitation to trust and love more is a call to confide in God's love, knowing that He enables us to respond with love. God's command to love Him is accompanied by the promise of strength to love, as He quickens the dead and empowers us to love Him.
Text
Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you; abide ye in my love.
--JOHN 15:9 (R. V.)
ABIDE IN ME: These words are the command of love, which is ever only a promise in a different shape. Think of this until all feeling of burden and fear and despair pass away, and the first thought that comes as you hear of abiding in Jesus be one of bright and joyous hope.
--ANDREW MURRAY
When love is heard inviting more trust, more love, the encouragement to trust, to love, goes beyond the rebuke that our love is so little, and we take heart to confide in the love that is saying, "Give me thine heart," expecting that it will impart itself to us, and enable us to give the response of love which it desires. For indeed it must be with the blessed purpose to en.able us to love Him that our God bids us love Him; for He knows that no love but what He Himself quickens in us can love Him.
Therefore always feel the call to love a gracious promise of strength to love, and marvel not at your own deadness, but trust in Him who quickeneth the dead.
--JOHN MCLEOD CAMPBELL
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Abide in Jesus
- The Encouragement to Trust and Love
- The Call to Love as a Promise of Strength
- Trust in God's Power to Quicken Love
- Marvelling at Deadness, Not Ourselves
Key Quotes
“Abide ye in my love.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Think of this until all feeling of burden and fear and despair pass away, and the first thought that comes as you hear of abiding in Jesus be one of bright and joyous hope.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“For indeed it must be with the blessed purpose to enable us to love Him that our God bids us love Him;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should trust in God's love and strength to enable us to love Him, even when we feel dead to it.
- We can respond to God's call to love Him by giving Him our hearts and trusting in His promise to impart Himself to us.
- The purpose of God's love for us is to enable us to love Him, and to give us the strength to love Him in return.