Follow Jesus (the way of love)

Mar 1:17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

Luk 9:23 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

1Co 14:1 Follow the way of love...

Jesus said for us to follow Him we must deny ourselves first then take up our cross. Sounds a lot like the Christlike love we are all to have:

Joh 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Joh 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Matt 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you...

1Jn 3:16-18 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1Co 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (Deny yourself)

Jesus even told us the ultimate expression of love is to surrender one's life for someone else, just as He did.

Joh 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (Take up your cross)

Now Jesus in Mark 1:17 said to follow Him and He would make us fishers of men. He will make us fruitful in His service.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Abiding in Him/Following Him; what does that look like? We have already discussed love and it's application.

1Jn 3:23-24 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Believe and love. The two are virtually synonymous though, for love comes naturally from genuine belief.

Believe (Gr 4100 pisteuo, verb) is the action of faith (Gr 4102 pistis, noun). It is being like Jesus and living like Him: BE-LIVE/BELIEVE.

1Jn 4:16-17 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

1Jn 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

To abide in Jesus, to follow Him and bear fruit, all one must do is believe. Love will flow naturally from that!

Joh 7:38-39 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Rom 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Col 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.

Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Lord yourself to us so that we know you better. Empower us to love others as you love us Jesus!