September 12, 2021
“If you love me, obey my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.“
John 14:15-16 (NLT)
On the evening prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, He gave a lengthy and private teaching to His disciples in the upper room which took place right after the announcement that one of the disciples would betray him. Judas was the guilty one and he and leaves the room. Jesus then said to His disciples, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The unmistakable meaning of the passage is that obedience to Christ’s commandments is both a sign and a test of our love for Him.
There are Commandments and there are
Divine Commandments
In John’s writings, the connection between love for Christ and obedience to Him is a frequent theme. Make no mistake about it, Jesus is saying, how can you say you love ME and do not love My Children? John is clearly saying “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. As my Pastor always says, “now, don’t get it twisted”, this is exactly what Jesus is saying! If you love God as one of His Children, you will keep His Commandments.
Further down in the same passage, in the same upper room discussion with His disciples, Jesus said again, “Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them” John 14:21! Jesus is not referring to keeping a list of Do’s and Don’ts, or Rules and Laws like the Ten Commandments or merely to be understood as obeying a series of Moral Instructions. NO!
Do You Love Jesus? Do You Belong To HIM?
Jesus is saying!
“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
John 14:23–24
Remember Peter! Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. The first time Jesus said, “Do you love [Greek agape: volitional, self-sacrificial love] me more than these?” The second time, Jesus still used the word translated from the Greek word agape. The third time, Jesus used the word translated from the Greek word phileo (signifying affection, affinity, or brotherly love) and asked, in other words, “Are you even my friend?” Each time Peter responded with the word translated into Greek as phileo. Jesus doesn’t settle for quick, superficial answers. Peter had to face his true feelings and motives when Jesus confronted him. How would you respond if Jesus asked you, “Do you love me?” Are you even his friend? WOW!
What does Jesus mean when He says, “Keep my commands?” These “commands” encompass all of Jesus’ words and teachings, and can be reduced to two simple principles:
LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS!
RX: A TRUTHFUL 
HEART “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
FATHER GOD: Thank You for teaching us what TRUE LOVE is. Thank You Father for Your Love and the Holy Spirit for giving us the power to Love as You have commanded, yes even the Sandpaper People, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen!
Are you struggling to love in some areas of your life? Please comment!