these things

Week 41 John

The Lord said to his disciples: I have told you these things so that you won’t fall away.
It’s disturbing to think about starting with sky-high hopes of following the Lord forever then gradually dipping to lowering-hopes and eventually quitting the Lord forever. I don’t guess people plan that they’ll be temporary followers. But none of us know how things will pan out.
Anyway the Lord anticipated the potentiality of a Follower’s Devolution and said: I have told you these things so that you won’t fall away.
So…what are the these-things that he told them? I figure there’ll be some in chapter fifteen so I look there:
Remain in me, and I will remain in you
Those who remain in me…will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing
Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love
Love each other in the same way that I love you…the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends
The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t.
Not the easiest and most implementable list of things in the world. But it’s things like these that’ll a) help me not to fall away, and b) in the event I do stumble will keep me from free-falling forever.

Note: quotes from John 16:1 & 15:4, 5, 10, 12, 19, 26 (NLT)