The Lord says, “Abide in My love.” Our enjoyment of our blessings, as well as our power in testimony, will depend upon our abiding in the conscious sense of the love of Christ. Those other solemn words of the Lord, “You have left your first love,” indicate the first step on the road that leads to the ruin and scattering of the Christian company on earth (Rev. 2:4–5). When Christians walked in the enjoyment of divine love, nothing could stand against their united testimony. When they lost their first love to Christ, through losing the sense of Christ’s love to them, they soon ceased to present a united testimony before the world.

How often has the history of the Church as a whole been repeated in local companies of saints? If, however, any would answer to the Lord’s words and continue in His love, let them take heed to the Lord’s directions, for He points the way. We can only continue in His love as we walk in the path of obedience: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.” The child that pursues his own will, in disobedience to the parent, has very little appreciation, or enjoyment, of the parent’s love. So with the Christian, it is only as we walk in obedience to the Lord’s revealed mind that we shall retain the enjoyment of the Lord’s love.

It has been well said that we keep ourselves in the love of Christ as one would abide in the sunshine by keeping in the place where the sunshine falls. The love of Christ rests on the way of obedience, and shines along the path of His commandments. The keeping His commandments does not create the love, any more than walking in sunny places creates the sunshine; and accordingly the exhortation is not to seek, or merit, or obtain the love, but to remain in it.