THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE

John 14:15-18

Morning Meditation 3/23/2015

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

GRACE IS THE GROUND OF HOPE

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." This verse does not say, "If ye love me," I will love you. His love for us is unconditional. This verse does not say, "if you keep my commandments, I will love you." God's love continues to love us even when we are running with the enemy. This is something that God will do. The Scripture is clear on this point. Note the following:

1. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." We were enemies when Christ died for us. We had nothing to offer God that would bring us into a right standing with Him. So Jesus, God's only begotten Son, did it for us when He died on the cross.

2. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God once we have been saved. Romans 8:35, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" This reveals a truth that is unconditional and eternal.

3. The present ground of hope is grace. God does not charge for what He does. None of us are worthy of anything we receive from Him. God is waiting for us to come to Him as a little child. When we do that, grace moves into operation. And God never fails. There are no cases of failure with God.

The Lord knows our weaknesses and is moved by grace to answer to that need. Next,

TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL

The Holy Spirit is never to be received as the reward for our faithfulness, but simply and only God's gift to our acknowledged weakness.

Progress in the Christian life is to be constantly empowered by the ever present gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in our constant companion. Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

To attempt to serve God without the acknowledged presence of the Holy Spirit, is to attempt to serve Him in the strength of the flesh.

John 15:5, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." The filling of the Holy Spirit is not optional but absolutely essential for the life of victory. The filling of the Holy Spirit is God's provision for our success as a witness to His life, death, and resurrection. Finally,

I am afraid that much that goes on in our churches across this great land, would continue take place if God were absent. That is hard for some people to grasp. This is what John spoke of in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

To be filled with the Holy Spirit there are certain conditions that need to be met:

1. There must be reality, sincerity, earnestness, and seriousness.

2. Repentance comes next. This includes confession, turning from all known sin, and cleansing; 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

3. Restitution may be necessary. This is one of the hardest conditions because it strikes at the seat of pride.

4. There must be a continual dependence on Him for guidance and power to accomplishing the given task.

Make us in Thy royal palace

Vessels worthy for the king;

From Thy fulness fill our chalice

From Thy never faith spring.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White