“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30; KJV).

Did you know that the Greek word for love there is agape? That is the same unconditional love that God loves us with. Impossible, you may be thinking; could I ever love God just as he loves me? However, in Romans 5:5, the apostle Paul wrote that the Holy Spirit pours out the agape love of God in our hearts. Also, when we were born again, we were given a brand-new nature (the nature of God) which is a love nature.

So, we do have the ability to love God as he loves us and with God's help we can do it. Not only that, but the apostle John taught us that: "His love is perfected in us" (agape again) (1 John 4:12). That word "perfected" means to be made complete or mature.

As we spend time abiding in the vine (John 15:1-8) then the love that has been poured into our hearts will mature and grow and it will become easier to "agape" God (and others too). Abiding in the vine or in Jesus, who is the vine, simply means to remain continually in close communion or relationship with him. Sounds good to me.

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