November 30, 2016
HOW DO I LOVE THEE . . . LET ME OBEY YOUR WAYS
John 14:15–31
Jimmy Comeaux
Central Truth
Jesus tells us we should demonstrate our love for Him through OBEDIENCE. This is not simple rule following. It's trusting that He is good and that His ways are best.
Key Verse | John 14:21
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is 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 14:21)
John 14:15–31
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, 1 14:16 Or Advocate, or Counselor; also 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be 2 14:17 Some manuscripts and is in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered 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 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
Dive Deeper | John 14:15–31
In this passage, Jesus shares several great truths with His disciples. He foreshadows His death, assures them there is nothing to fear, and promises to send a Helper (the Holy Spirit). But what stands out to me the most is that Jesus explains how we should demonstrate our love for Him: through obedience.
It would be easy to misinterpret verse 15 as Christ saying we have to follow all His rules to be loved. I used to think this way! But that's not what He's saying. In fact, the Bible is clear that God loves us in spite of our sins and rebellion against Him (Romans 5:8). What Christ is explaining is how WE can show our love for God. We do this by obeying His commandments.
So, what does He mean by “has my commandments and keeps them" (verse 21)? It means spending time with God meditating on Scripture to better understand how He created us to live. It means that trusting His commands is not designed to rip us off, but to set us free. It means to humbly repent when we fail to obey.
As we walk in obedience, Jesus promises to reveal Himself to us (verse 21), transforming our lives as we get to know Him.
My life bears out this truth. I walked in rebellion for years, trying to control my circumstances and behavior. My life looked great on the outside. But inside, I was broken, lonely, and depressed. In my arrogance, I tried to fill that hole in my heart with the things of this world. I am thankful that God lifted me out of the pit I created for myself, set my feet on a rock, and put a new song of praise in my mouth. I continue to be amazed by the ways I experience His love as I seek to grow in my knowledge of, and obedience to, His call on my life.
May we increasingly experience the fullness of His love as we seek to know and obey our great God!
Discussion Questions
1. What steps can you take to more fully understand the commandments God calls us to keep?
2. What commandments (think beyond the big 10) do you disobey because you don’t trust they are for your best? With what truths can you combat these lies?
3. Can you remember a time when you turned from sin to obedience and then more fully experienced God’s love? Share this with someone as a part of your story of grace!