Love and Obedience?
25004 L
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Read the context: John 14
Ponder:
? Why is there a question ("if") about Jesus' followers "loving" Him?
? Was Jesus referring to any specific commandments?
? Who needs more seriously answer the question?
jne: To love and be loved is perhaps one of the most fundamental human interests. People live for love, die for love, fight for love, pay for love, sacrifice for love. All these demonstrate the great variety of beliefs and understanding about "love." The question this verse prompts is, why does Jesus connect love and obedience?
Later in the chapter Jesus says "he who loves me will be loved by my father." It almost sounds like God's love is conditional, "if" we love Jesus and keep His commandments, God will love us. How can this idea be compared to the popular verse "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...?"
The idea that obedience is a requirement for being loved is a sad misunderstanding of both love and obedience. If God only loved obedient people, very few, if any of us would qualify to be loved. If we obeyed God only to receive His love, we would miss out as well. The idea that we must give obedience in order to get love seriously misunderstands both.
Notice the last verse of the chapter: Jesus said: "I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." Jesus obeyed the Father, and we obey Jesus, not to earn or deserve their love, but to demonstrate that our love is genuine. Love and obedience are not different parts of a contract, "if I obey you, will you love me ... I will love you if you obey me." They are essential complimentary parts of our relationship with God.
In the Garden of Eden, God implied that if Adam and Eve loved Him, they would obey Him. Their disobedience demonstrated they did not love God as they might have claimed. God's rescue of them, and us, prompted their hearts to love God and obedience demonstrated the reality of their love. The way Jesus' followers demonstrate their love for Him is by doing what He says we should do.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Read the context: John 14
Ponder:
? Why is there a question ("if") about Jesus' followers "loving" Him?
? Was Jesus referring to any specific commandments?
? Who needs more seriously answer the question?
jne: To love and be loved is perhaps one of the most fundamental human interests. People live for love, die for love, fight for love, pay for love, sacrifice for love. All these demonstrate the great variety of beliefs and understanding about "love." The question this verse prompts is, why does Jesus connect love and obedience?
Later in the chapter Jesus says "he who loves me will be loved by my father." It almost sounds like God's love is conditional, "if" we love Jesus and keep His commandments, God will love us. How can this idea be compared to the popular verse "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...?"
The idea that obedience is a requirement for being loved is a sad misunderstanding of both love and obedience. If God only loved obedient people, very few, if any of us would qualify to be loved. If we obeyed God only to receive His love, we would miss out as well. The idea that we must give obedience in order to get love seriously misunderstands both.
Notice the last verse of the chapter: Jesus said: "I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." Jesus obeyed the Father, and we obey Jesus, not to earn or deserve their love, but to demonstrate that our love is genuine. Love and obedience are not different parts of a contract, "if I obey you, will you love me ... I will love you if you obey me." They are essential complimentary parts of our relationship with God.
In the Garden of Eden, God implied that if Adam and Eve loved Him, they would obey Him. Their disobedience demonstrated they did not love God as they might have claimed. God's rescue of them, and us, prompted their hearts to love God and obedience demonstrated the reality of their love. The way Jesus' followers demonstrate their love for Him is by doing what He says we should do.