John 14:15-31
Three times in this passage, Jesus says that our love for him is demonstrated by our obedience. There’s also a reciprocal relationship between our obedience and the presence of God in our lives: “…and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v21); “…and we will come to him and make our home with him” (v23). The danger in interpreting this passage would be drawing the conclusion that God’s love and presence is dependent on our performance.
A better approach concludes that a true follower of Jesus will truly love him, and love will be demonstrated in obedience. Jesus also said that those who don’t love him won’t obey him. I think the bigger issue is love. God’s presence in our lives is related to our love for him. And when we truly love God, we’ll want to obey and follow him – not out of guilt or fear, but out of love.
Our perspective on who God is and what he wants for us shapes our motivation for how we relate to him. When we can embrace God as loving, gracious, good and giving, our response to him is rooted in love and thankfulness. Look at all that John describes in these verses as coming from God: his presence (v18 & 23), the Holy Spirit (v16 & 26), peace (v28), and so much more!
No comments:
Post a Comment