07/22/2021
Three times in short succession the Apostle John records the words of Jesus as He tells us what it means to love Him, and what He will do for us if we truly obey His commandments. There are other biblical references to loving God, and Jesus Christ, but these three references promise us that the Holy Spirit will be given to us, Jesus will manifest Himself in us, and that God will allow us to come to Him, and make our home with Him… all of these incredible blessings if we will love Jesus, and obey His commandments. Do we love Him in this way? Are we obedient as we should be?
““If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”
John 14:15-16 ESV
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.””
John 14:21 ESV
“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
John 14:23 ESV
Beginning with my parents, and grandparents, there have been people in my life that I have loved, and when I have come to love them I have found that I wanted to please them, and to honor their requests when they have asked something of me. Certainly there are those in the world that we obey out of fear, but no desire to obey is greater, or more complete, than that which we offer out of love. Almost immediately Jesus gives us a powerful commandment, and it involves love; listen:
““This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:12 ESV
Then He immediately tells us about the greatest manifestation of love that we can show one another, and to Him. This is the gold standard when it comes to love, and Jesus met and exceeded it on the cross. He leaves no doubt of this because in the very next verses He repeats His call that we obey His commandments, and tells us that if we do, then we are His friends.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
John 15:13-14 ESV
So if we we obey the commandments of Jesus we demonstrate that we love Him, and are His friends. Moreover, if we are His friends then His life was given for us in the great love He has described, and if we obey Him then the offering of His life will go beyond His loving us, and will give us the three amazing blessings He has promised… the Holy Spirit will be given to us, Jesus will manifest Himself in us, and God will allow us to come to Him, and make our home with Him. If we love Jesus, and obey Him, then we are doing just as He did in respect to God. So, are we ready to love and obey Him?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus who loved and obeyed you, even to the point of giving up His life for His friends, and so that the world could be redeemed from sin. Father, thank you for giving us the capacity for such love, and for our ability to obey your commandments, and the commandments of Jesus. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who calls us friend, and from whom all blessings flow. Praised be your name for sending both Jesus, and your Holy Spirit, to us. Praised be your name for your grace that flows through Jesus, and for the comfort and understanding we receive from the Holy Spirit that you have breathed onto us. Wash us in the blood of Christ and lead us through the Spirit into righteousness as we are being prepared to stand before you in judgement. We worship you Lord, and love you with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, hear us as we call you not only Father, and Abba, but friend as well. We pray that you will send your angels to hover over us, strengthen us in our faith, encourage our resolve, and Shepherd us in obedience, so that in judgement you will find us worthy of your eternal joy, and a seat at your table forevermore.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
John 15:9-11 ESV
Rich Forbes