Encouraging people to live to love with Jesus brings joy.

1 John 1:4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. I think the encouragement from this verse comes from something John learned from Jesus. He heard Jesus say this very same comment after Jesus gave the disciples the new commandment to love one another as He loved them (John 13:34) and that they would know when they received the Holy Spirit that Jesus was in the Father, they were in Jesus, and that Jesus was in them (John 14:20). Jesus told them that without Him, they could not bear fruit for the glory of God (John 15:5). Then Jesus told them why He had said these things. “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11). In this verse we understand the excitement and joy that comes with living to love with Jesus. In this first letter of John’s, he essentially encouraged his readers (and us) to obey Jesus’ commands to believe in Him and love one another in the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus dwelling within them. That quality of life can only happen in them if they believe in and abide in Jesus. John wanted them to know that their living to love with Jesus filled the disciples with Jesus’ joy. In his third letter he put it this way. “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). So the encouragement today should travel with us as we journey through these epistles of John. All of what he wrote was to encourage them to live to love with Jesus. He fully expected God, with whom they were in fellowship, to love through them. Nothing could complete his joy more than to hear that his brother and sisters after reading his letter, walked in love. This is why I am doing this podcast! I’m encouraging all who hear to live to love with Jesus for His glory. And if you do rise to God’s call to love in all that you do, nothing could make me more joyful when I come to stand before Jesus to give an account of my life. I invite you to fellowship with me by committing yourself to walk in love with Jesus, and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and the Son, who dwells in us. We will not be disappointed on That Great Day, when Jesus comes to be glorified in the saints and marveled at by all who believe. We will be filled with joy if we are making disciples who live to love with Jesus.