However Has My Commands And Keeps Them Is The One Who Loves Me
This Is What Love Is
JOHN 14:19-21
“”A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he 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 14:19-21 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/jhn.14.19-21.nkjv
Jesus tells us here, that even though the world cannot see Him, He is with His faithful people; those who love Him, and He will never leave them (see JOHN 14:15-18).
But love is more than just emotions and words, it is an action. If one really love’s another, they would not do something that hurts them, but rather, care for them and express their love by selflessly trying to do good for that person without expectation of something in return.
That is what love is.
If one really loves Jesus, he, knowing how sin is offensive to God, shall keep His commandments, or at least try.
If one really believes in Christ, he will know Jesus is always right, His Law is right, His ways are right, because He is the only truth that we can rely on; the only truth that brings lasting peace, joy, and contentment into our lives.
He shall know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He is the only way to our Father in heaven (JOHN 14:6).
But knowing Him that well can only come from relationship built through ongoing prayers and submission.
Get to know your Heavenly Father, make time to speak with Him, don’t leave His side and get to know Him more.
The truth is, the more you know Him, the more you will love and trust Him and your desire to express that love by your actions will grow.
Jesus said, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
Having received the gift of the Spirit, no longer does he walk in his own righteousness, but Christ’s righteousness, for His Spirit joins with our spirit and “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
Romans 8:16-17 NKJV
One no longer feels condemned by God’s Law, but becomes convicted by the leading of the Spirit to keep it and live right.
Paul said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2 NKJV
Jesus blood not only payed the debt of sin, but washed away the shame and makes us whole in Him.
He did it all on the cross that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (JOHN 10:10).
We can love ourselves because Christ chose to love us.
We can like ourselves because Christ chose to like us.
But, “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:1-5 NKJV
The first two and great commandments say it all; Jesus said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV
God’s whole way of life is based on love, His Law and His Prophets hang on these two great commandments.
But, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
I John 4:20-21 NKJV
To love is a choice; your neighbour may hate you, his or her actions may not always be good, but you can still choose to love them by being kind, merciful, and helpful, when opportunity comes, just like Christ is kind, merciful, and helpful to you.
Love is infectious, and maybe your neighbour will be infected by Christ’ love because of your prayers and actions.
Maybe the light of Christ that shines from you bring him or her to the feet of Jesus Christ.
We can only love because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19). So pass His love on to others and give them the opportunity to taste and see how the Lord is good (PSALM 34:8).
The lost are not likely to walk into your church, therefore take church into the streets and communities and reach out “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:6-8 NKJV
We are all sinners and in need of a Saviour, but despite our sin, Jesus chose to love us. He died for you that you might live, and because of His resurrection He lives, and you live also.
Surely, knowing that Christ died for you, in this temporary life, you can live for Him in total submission, that others receive the gift of life too.
Hold nothing back, but rather express your love for Christ and others by your actions and service, not in your own strength and abilities, for we can do nothing good in the flesh, but by the leading and conviction of Holy Spirit in you.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
