Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.’
Into the Text
God’s will for our lives is simple: that we bear fruit and glorify Him. But how do we live this out? Jesus makes it clear—through obedience rooted in love. Love is the highest and purest motive for obedience because when we obey out of love, we do it willingly, with all our hearts.
True love doesn’t calculate or measure the cost of following a loved one. Imagine a wedding where the bride goes around complaining about all the chores she will have to do for her husband and the freedom she is giving up in getting married. The wedding guests will probably question if this woman really loves the man she is about to marry. We all know that true love is a joyful giving of oneself, happy to please the other and glad to do whatever is asked.
This is the kind of love Jesus wants from us. A giving, trusting love. And the proof that we truly love Him, as He makes it clear, is through our obedience. Obedience that doesn’t look at God’s Word and wonder, “How much will this cost me?” Obedience that says, “Lord, I love you and trust you enough to do whatever you ask.”
And, while God loves the whole world, Jesus is speaking about a kind of intimacy and love that is promised only to God’s people. The Father will come in a special way to those who love and obey Him. He will comfort, protect, lead, and provide for them. He will never leave them.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to love you with all my heart and obey your commands from a place of devotion, not obligation. Amen.