Today we are at the beginning of the week of the crucifixion. Our text for today is one simple yet profound verse. Jesus is still teaching His disciples after the Passover supper. He has taught many things during this discourse, but to me, this statement says much more than the 9 words used. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
During this teaching period, it seems that Jesus is trying to cover the most important things they will need to remember after He is gone. He teaches them about serving by washing their feet and tells them to do likewise after He is gone. He confirms who He is to them, that He and the Father are one. He comforts them by telling them where He is going and why He is going. Now, He gives the simple command that will prove their love for Him.
This simple command starts with the word “if.” If, is a word that signifies the introduction of a conditional clause. If we love Him, there will be proof of that love. This verse is not talking about the kind of love the world refers to as love. Most equate love with what you can do for them. Their kind of love is selfish love, seeking to get something out of the relationship rather than give to the relationship. Many times, it is no more than a sentiment or an emotion. The one who is love teaches us what love looks like. I John 4:8 teaches us “God is love,” since Jesus is equal to the Father, He is God in the flesh, and He is love.
There can be no misunderstanding about the meaning of this verse. Real true love will be evident by obeying His commandments. This kind of love is a commitment. It is a decision that is nailed down and doesn’t waiver with our emotions. Real love must be expressed in a tangible way. Jesus and God didn’t just say they loved us. Romans 5:8 teaches us He commendeth, meaning He demonstrated His love for us by giving His Son to die for our sins. God gave, and Jesus died. Real love takes action!
Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
If you keep this one verse you will stay in the right relationship with God. Love = obedience! So, how are you doing in loving God? Do you pick and choose what you will obey? Let’s look at a few verses that cover a lot of ground.
Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
Is everything in your life governed by your love for God? Does your love for Him keep you from saying or doing things that He would not be pleased with, not just part of the time, but all the time?
Mark 12:31 “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Do you love your neighbor as yourself? The Greek word for neighbor is play-see’-on. It means close by or fellow man. In technicality, this would include everyone. This does not mean you have to like them or what they do. We love them because they are created in the image of God and God loves them. He loved them just as much as He loves us. Our love should see our fellowman as a soul that will spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell. We need to see people the way God sees them. The love of God spread abroad in our hearts doesn’t want anyone, not even the vilest sinner, to spend eternity in Hell. This is not something we can do on our own. It must be executed by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.
Romans 5:5b-6 “because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
We cannot love God with all of our hearts, nor our neighbor as ourselves in our own strength. This kind of love is of a divine nature; therefore, it must come from the one who is divine. When this divine love is in our hearts we want to obey. It is not obedience out of duty, it is obedience out of the love we have for Him, because He first loved us, we can now love Him.
I John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”
