![]() Jesus told the disciples that to show their love for God, they had to keep His commandments. Jesus did not take these commands lightly. Jesus was sharing a final meal with his friends and his final words to them centered around love. In John 13:34, Jesus tells the disciples to “love one another.” One chapter later, in John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (NKJV) In the New Testament, Jesus gives many commands regarding love. What Does ‘If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments’ Mean? The Bible tells us that while love may not always be present, it should always be the goal. God’s love for His creation and desire for us to always remain with Him drove him to sacrifice his own Son, in the name of love, as punishment for our sin. Thankfully, we do find the overarching theme of “love” in the Bible. Reading through the Bible we find stories of war, division, and opposition. The timeless beauty of the Bible reveals the same cultural struggles as we experience today. Dissension, animosity, and chaos bring to light the condition of our world. When turning on the news or scrolling through social media “love” is not quite the overriding theme of the day. The guidance of the Holy Spirit is key for this obedience (John 14:16).If you love me, keep my commandments. The connection between behavior and love for Christ clearly made an impression on John, who echoes it in his letters (1 John 2:3–6 2 John 1:6 3 John 1:11). It's that a self-labelled "Christian" who lives contrary to the message of Christ is like a meat-eating warmonger who claims to be a "pacifist vegetarian." Nor is the lesson here that good behavior earns or keeps one's salvation (Romans 11:6). The point is not that believers are perfect-far from it (1 John 1:9–10). Incredibly, some object to the suggestion that truly born-again "Christians" don't make a habit of ignoring the teachings of Jesus. In most earthly situations, this idea is non-controversial. Nor can someone claim to know Christ while disregarding His teachings (1 John 2:4). ![]() A person cannot claim to know Christ and hate other Christians (1 John 4:20). Here, He indicates that obedience to His commands is the primary sign of our love for Him. That is the primary sign of faith to the outside world (John 13:35). Jesus pointedly taught that those who follow Him are obligated to show love for others (John 13:12–15, 34). ![]() He has also pointed out that legitimate followers still need some level of "cleaning" from sin (John 13:10 1 John 1:9–10). Christ has just made it clear that He, not His followers, is the One responsible for their salvation (John 14:5–6 Titus 3:5). The other is to brush the statement aside as if a person's behavior says nothing about their eternal destiny. One is something like legalism, or works-based salvation. There are two possible extremes to which this verse can be subjected. The phrase immediately before this verse was a conditional promise that Jesus would do anything, provided it was asked "in name." This condition prevents interpretations that make God into a robotic servant of men.įollowing directly from that, Jesus connects a person's love for Him with their obedience to His teachings. Those who believe in Him have the opportunity to do "greater works" than even He had done (John 14:12). Part of that included encouragement-their knowledge of Him was their way to God (John 14:4–6). Jesus has been reassuring the disciples as He approaches His impending death and resurrection. For such a simple statement, this verse is often exaggerated or ignored. ![]()
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