Obedience Fueled by Love
“If you love me, you will keep my commands.” - John 14:15 (CSB) Jesus placed love at the very center of his command to obey. I mean, the entire chapter just shows us the intensity of Jesus’s love. Just moments earlier, he says, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Did you know that it is the Father's will for you to abide in Jesus? Have you ever read a book called “The Purpose-Driven Life?” by Rick Warren? It’s a great book about finding your purpose and living a meaningful life. I guarantee that you will begin to create a roadmap to knowing God's purpose for your life. What about the book, “What’s Next?” It’s a book about the journey to know God, finding freedom, discovering purpose, and making a difference. My favorite book about finding purpose turned out to be one I bought because I heard about the author and thought it was about being a godly husband, father, and man. It's called the "Purpose of Man." When I began reading that book, I realized quickly that it was a book on wisdom rather than a self-help book on being a better man for God. In all reality, the book did teach me to be a better man—a man in love with God.
In my opinion, A.W. Tozer's book would be the closest to finding purpose, because our purpose in life is to know Jesus more. The Father's plan for your life is to know Jesus better today than yesterday. This is what Jesus was saying when he said, "The Father and I are one." Jesus was telling young Philip the Father and I are one, his identity is my identity. Here soon, that becomes our reality with the Holy Spirit within us. Christ’s identity becomes our identity. And so, God’s plan for your life is to abide in Christ.
Another way we can see this truth is in John, chapter 6, where Jesus teaches that he is the bread of life. Think about that moment. Jesus has just fed the people fish and loaves, and now he's gone to the other side of the sea, where they follow him. Jesus recognizes the need to nourish their hearts once more, prompting him to explain that they require genuine eternal life, not the fleeting life that bread provides. But they need the bread of life, which is Jesus, And what was their answer? What can we do!? Jesus replies, "It's not what you do, but in your believing in the one the Father has sent." We focus so much on what we do. Most of the time, our actions determine our holiness. Do I dress holy? Does my language sound holy? Do my actions seem holy? Holiness is based on just this or that kind of music. But very often, we never see the pursuit of holiness as God wanting Himself to be the center of our love. And I think this is the danger that so many Christians are trying to find the rules—that they try to put God at the center, but he has no control over our lives. God becomes center along with everything else they have put center. We naturally look for rules. We seek ways to change the sins within us, on our own, but in the end, they never really change us or transform us, as much as we find rules and ways to suppress and hide the truth that we need a savior from our sin. And so, sin stays very rooted in the hearts of people until their life becomes consecrated. You see atonement isn’t being at one with myself, but being at one with Christ that is in me. And there must be a change, or a turning or even better, a surrender. I think surrender is such a beautiful word because it’s a Jesus word. Jesus surrendered. Not my will but yours be done. That’s surrender. It’s a surrender that knows the Father’s love. And Jesus knows the Father’s love. Look at verse 9 in John chapter 15, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me.” Just think about that. How much does the Father love the Son? A lot. An infinite perfect love. Jesus says, As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
If anything today, I can bask in the light of these words, as the Father has loved the Son, and the Son has loved the Father, through Faith, the Father has placed the Spirit of the Son within my heart that cries out, Abba Father. Holiness is becoming one in Christ, as Christ is one in the Father. All through Faith, and the Spirit of Christ that is within me.
And so I bask in that truth, knowing that Jesus loves you and me with the same intensity and the width and depth of love which the father loves him, and he loves us. Let that soak in today. Live today in God’s love for you. Don’t doubt it. Live in it! How do we do that? Verse 10 says, “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.” Which Jesus echoes in verse 15, If you love me, then keep my commandments.
Obeying isn’t following rules, it’s everyday taking on a new identity. I’ll leave you with this… obeying invites three habits into our life,
Learning to Listen. Ha! Leaning into some of a friend’s thunder here and leaning into the district assembly. As Christians we should strive to listen for God just as much as we strive to obey him. Because heres the thing, listening requires patience but it also requires me to put aside my thoughts, to make room for God’s. I struggle with a bad sense of self. It’s not that I think of myself less, but I think I am worthless at times. Listening gives me the opportunity to pray and read the word to see what God says about me. That he loves me. He lavishes his love on me. Who are you listening to? Secondly, Learn to trust. I love the familiar verse, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understandings.” Trust is really the currency of relationships. And without trust, our faith will rust. Lastly, Commitment. Commitment often requires us to be fully devoted to God because sometimes we don’t always get what we want. The verse continues to say, “In all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” God will never direct you in ways that are ultimately bad for you. He will always make the path straight. Does it mean the path will be easy or smooth? No. But it does mean that it will ultimately be good, and purposeful.
You see, obedience isn’t our doing, it’s through love. Trusting, listening and commitment all come not through what we do, but through the love we have for God and for one another in this relationship we call faith.