The Red Zone

The Red Zone

John 15:9 (NASB)

9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”

    If we could attach a meter to our planet to measure the anger levels of its people, the register would be in the red zone. Even TV anchors, who should dispassionately give us the news, are screaming into the cameras. Political factions are at each other’s throats. Families are fragmenting, and anger even seeps into many churches, filling pews with disgruntled worshipers.

    But there’s another red zone—the transforming power of the blood of Jesus Christ. In John 15, on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus spoke two powerful paragraphs—one about love and one about hate. In John 15:9-17, He said His followers should be known for their love. He told them to abide in His love and to love one another. In the next paragraph—John 15:18-25—Jesus warned them about the hatred of the world. The same world that hated Him would hate us.

    How interesting. The distinguishing mark of Christians is their love; the distinguishing mark of non-believers is their hate. Let’s never let the world seep into our bloodstreams. Abide in His love and serve someone today in His Name.

Tony Evans said, “We are to live out our horizontal relationships with one another in light of our vertical relationship with Christ.”