September 4 - Before It Hated You

John 15:18-27

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18 ESV)

Hatred is such an intense thing. Even the thought of the word hate conveys so much strong meaning. It is a violent and alarming emotion.

Jesus warned his followers that hatred was count their way. It was to be expected by them. Why? Because people hated Jesus.

It is tragic, ironic, and perplexing to think that someone could hate someone that embodied love in everything they did. Yet the religious elite and power hungry hated Christ. He messed with their status quo. So they killed him.

Jesus wants us to know that people may hate us for our beliefs. We may come under attack. And thousands of believers have lost their lives over the centuries. But in the event that we do come under persecution, we enter into divine company. Because Jesus faced it first. Jesus was hated first.

September 3 - Command Love

John 15:12-17

These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:17 ESV)

When I think of love I think of something that is voluntary. It is something that you decide, not something that is forced on you. And that is exactly how God created mankind.

We were created with the capacity to love, but not forced to do so. No one makes us love anyone. But we do love don't we? We choose over and over again to risk our hearts in loving other fallen creatures like ourselves.

Jesus epitomizes love. He even at one point stated it matter-of-factly, the highest form of love is self-sacrifice. And he called his followers to join him in that. Self-sacrifice doesn't always mean voluntarily allowing your mortal existence to end so that someone's life can be better. In fact, some of the highest form of selflessness comes when you soldier in through something immensely difficult in order to help someone. That is love.

Those who profess to follow Jesus in their faith, beliefs, and practices are asked to be willing to serve one another selflessly. Jesus wants us to go the extra mile for each other. He wants to love one another deeply, and authentically. Love is voluntary, and yet the Christ of Christianity commands love.

September 2 - Already Clean

John 15: 1-11

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. (John 15:3 ESV)

Cleanliness was a big deal to the Old Covenant Jews. They had all kinds of ceremonial laws about it. They had rules about washing, eating, sickness, sex, and even housewares. There were a lot of rules. By the time Jesus came their rules had become so convoluted and misconstrued that they overwhelmed the original purpose for the desired cleanliness.

During a teaching about human relationship with God, Jesus told his followers that they had been made clean. Their cleanliness was a freeing thing. It freed them from their sins. It was amazing. And it was all done by Christ.

Jesus had made them clean. He had asked them to follow him. He had called them out, and then cleansed them of their sinful issues. Jesus did it. Jesus did it.

Christ makes us clean when we are his. It's what he does and what he wants. It is a work of his power and his grace extended to us that allows to live in that cleanliness. It's pretty cool to be clean, not because of our own actions, but because of the power of the Word that Christ has already spoken concerning you.