15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
23 Jesus answered and said to 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. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My Words; and the Word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s Who sent Me”. (John 14:15; 23-24)
Jesus was God incarnate permitting men, all men who would look, to capture the visual essence of the beauty of His face and to take notice of the music of His captivating voice, and to feel the drawing power of His loving presence. Jesus drew people. He drew men. He drew women. He drew children. He drew crowds. He drew wicked people. He drew enemies.
Jesus is power. However, He never once used it to prove He had power. True power is never uneasy about itself, but rather, it focuses on helping others.
Jesus is love. He is the display of the limitless love of God. Do you love God? Love will never test. It absolutely trusts. Love knows; therefore, it never doubts. Love needs no tests, just embraced.
However, love, true love, operates within its own tenets. The Word of God, the Logos, the Son of God, sets the tenets of true love. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Therefore, the fruit of loving Jesus is keeping, obeying, His commands.
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
“Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
The words, “Be” and “Walk” above are words of command; do these things by willful choice. We often weakly say that we will try to do these things. Even Yoda understands the importance of command. He said, “Do or do not. There is no try.”
Far too often, we spend much of our praying asking God to help us to do what He has commanded us to do. He plainly tells us what to do and gives us the freedom to express our love by doing what He wants. Our purpose is to die to self and live unto Him. Love is the motivating power to do as He desires.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” He is drawing you.
Obedience is a decision. Love ought to drive that decision to a desire to obey His Word at all costs. Pray On!
