John 15:12–17
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We live in a sentimental age, which is another way of saying we live in a dishonest one. This modern love is a tyrant that masquerades as a servant. It is a feeling, a therapeutic balm, an absolute right to self-fulfillment. It demands affirmation without obligation, and intimacy without covenant. And because it is a counterfeit, it cannot build anything. It cannot sustain a marriage, it cannot hold a church together, and it certainly cannot save a soul. Into this fog of emotionalism, the words of Jesus Christ cut like a laser. He speaks of love not as a suggestion, but as a commandment. He defines it not by our feelings, but by His actions. He speaks of friendship not as a casual affiliation, but as a covenant relationship with blood-bought obligations. The world wants a Jesus who is a friend in their sense of the word, a celestial buddy who affirms their choices and never makes demands.