15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. . . .
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” . . .
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
When our children were growing up we used to note that the true test of their love for us as their parents was if they obeyed us.
Ouch! I know that it is a heavy statement. However, the reality is as it says. Of course this is a hard thing to hear, and much harder to do -- especially if you don’t know what I would have you to do. If you do not know His heart; if you do not know His commands, His teachings it is difficult, if not impossible to do them.
Point 1: We cannot love God unless we obey Him.
Point 2: We cannot obey him unless we know what His commands are, what His teaching is.
Point 3: You cannot truly say that we love God if we are not willing to study His word.
Now if you are like me, right of the bat, this sounds like a command. I do not like being told what to do. Momma P always says that I am a “control freak.” In many ways she is right. So allow me to note that you still have some level of control. You can study His word, learn of Him and then know what is to do, His teachings, His commands. Or, you can choose not to. What you can not choose is the consequences, good or bad, of your choice to study or not.
See in the passage it clearly notes that the IF you choose to study and obey THEN you will be given an advocate, one who will fight for you and with you; that will never leave you or forsake you; one who will lead you into all truth. IF you choose to study and obey THEN you will be loved by the Father and Christ will love you too AND He will show Himself to you; i.e., you will become intimately acquainted with His heart. IF you choose to study and obey THEN you will be loved by the Father and God, Christ and the Holy Spirit (we in the text) will come and make their home with you.
But if you do not . . .
Well, I will leave you to look that up . . . Just a note: Hell is not limited to after you die. There is such a thing as a living hell. Some of you know what I mean. But you do not have to live there. You do have a choice.
And why would you want to know His words? His teachings?
Recently I was speaking with a young businessman who gives a significantly valued product out from his business as a ministry, hoping that people will be blessed from it. He has been burned by many Christians over the years, who take his product, do not use it as it is intended and then sees his continual provision as a right not a gift. The need is great for His product, and many will benefit from it. But when he is giving it to one, it prevents him from giving it to another. And if that one receiving it is abusing it, not doing right by it, they are in effect stopping the blessing to themselves and to others. He has struggled with continuing to give so openly and freely.
The word of Jesus freed him this morning.
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6
He will be requiring them to commit to doing right by the product or be cut off. A simple solution in accordance with the teachings and commands of Christ.
Point: Christ’s commands and teachings are life giving.
Do we truly want abundant life? Do we truly love life? Do we truly love Christ? Then we should study His word and obey. It’s a choice we will love to have made.
Got Word?
Love yah,
No comments:
Post a Comment