If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments
Introduction. The words “I love Jesus” are easily spoken, but Jesus demands more than words. Those who truly love Jesus must strongly desire to keep all His commands. This quality of obedient love is also the basis of Jesus’ love for us: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10) Just as Jesus showed His love for God by keeping every command, we show our love to Jesus in keeping His commands.
When we set aside one of Jesus’ commands, we are not even His friends! “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (Jn. 15:14). Even worse, if we can easily set aside commands that are inconvenient or we don’t like, we don’t know Him at all. Those who proclaim they know Him but don’t keep His commands are liars. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1Jn. 2:3).
This is not new! Love for God has always been based on how we keep His commands: “if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God.” (Deut. 11:13). Each of God’s commands creates a fork in our path. One direction continues our submission and love for Jesus and God. The other leads to a selfish regard only for ourselves: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” (Pr. 3:5).
Eve was the first to stand at this crossroad. God’s command led away from the tree: “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) Satan’s lie of “you will not surely die” led toward it. If she had loved and trusted God, she would have obeyed and lived. Disobedience revealed her doubt and lack of love. She clearly chose her own understanding as she saw: “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise.” (Gen. 3:6). In her rejection of God she chose the path of death.
Her sons, Cain and Abel also stood at the junction of trust and selfishness. God revealed the outcome. “The Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” (Gen. 4:4-5). Why? “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Since faith only comes by “hearing the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), Abel chose to “trust in the Lord,” kept the command and was righteous. Cain chose the path of selfishness, violating the command and doing evil. This is why “his works were evil and his brothers righteous.” (1Jn. 3:12). Both continue to be examples for us today. Abel, “being dead still speaks” and those who truly love God listen to his example and obey God. Those who ignore God’s commands “have gone in the way of Cain.” (Jude 11). God wants us to ask ourselves: Is my service to God like Abel’s or like Cain’s? Am I one of the few who walk the narrow path leading to life or one of the many who walk the broad path that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13)?
Noah and Abraham trusted God with all their heart: “Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5). Likewise, Abraham never leaned on his own understanding. When God called, he obeyed (Heb. 11:8). When God promised, he never doubted. (Rom. 4:19-22). When God asked for His son as a sacrifice, he was prepared to give it (Jas. 2:21-24). God called Abraham “My friend” because of this trust, devotion and obedience (Isa. 41:8).
The love and devotion of each servant of God was revealed by that choice. Those who trusted in God with all their heart and obeyed every command precisely as given were called faithful servants. “Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.” Why were they faithful? Out of love, reverence and respect they always chose God’s will above their own, obeying every command exactly as God sought.
While some consider the New Covenant to be more lenient, they couldn’t be more wrong. As noted in the introduction, our love for Jesus and His love for us are based on keeping His commands exactly as He gave them. We love God exactly the same way today as those under the old covenant: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1Jn 5:3).
Just as the Law of Moses developed over the 40 years they were in the wilderness, the Law of Christ also took decades to complete. In these early days of the church, the apostles were fulfilling Jesus’ mandate: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:20). After Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, He sent the Holy Spirit to: “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” and “guide you into all truth.” (Jn. 14:26; 16:13). As the books of the NT were nearing completion, this had been accomplished. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Pet. 1:3) When we believe and preach this truth, we “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Nothing in the NT can be set aside without revealing our own selfishness and lack of love for Jesus and for God.
The apostle John summed this up. Those self-proclaimed Christians who think they can set aside anything written in the NT are of the world: “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.” It is that simple. Those who hear and do everything written by the apostles know God and those who don’t hear are not of God: “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1Jn. 4:5-6).
The “spirit of truth” and the “spirit of error” are based on how we hear and obey their words. “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1Cor. 14:37-38). Those who can set aside a command written by Paul because they don’t agree with it are breaking a command of Jesus. That is the spirit of truth. The spirit of error proclaims that any command they have written that we do not agree with and won’t accept can be set aside.
Conclusion. One of greatest errors being proclaimed today refuses to accept these things. Jesus revealed that every book in the NT has been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Nothing in the Scriptures originated with them. They are the commandments of the Lord and those who set them aside are called by the Holy Spirit “liars,” “ignorant,” “of the world” and in “the spirit of error”. If we want to know and love Jesus, we must keep all the NT writers have been commanded by the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. If we want to be loved by Jesus and be seen as His friend, we must observe all things He revealed through His apostles. Each of us are standing at the junction of each of His commands. Do we truly “trust in the Lord with all our heart” or are we actually serving Jesus “leaning on our own understanding”?
When we set aside one of Jesus’ commands, we are not even His friends! “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (Jn. 15:14). Even worse, if we can easily set aside commands that are inconvenient or we don’t like, we don’t know Him at all. Those who proclaim they know Him but don’t keep His commands are liars. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1Jn. 2:3).
This is not new! Love for God has always been based on how we keep His commands: “if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God.” (Deut. 11:13). Each of God’s commands creates a fork in our path. One direction continues our submission and love for Jesus and God. The other leads to a selfish regard only for ourselves: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” (Pr. 3:5).
Eve was the first to stand at this crossroad. God’s command led away from the tree: “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) Satan’s lie of “you will not surely die” led toward it. If she had loved and trusted God, she would have obeyed and lived. Disobedience revealed her doubt and lack of love. She clearly chose her own understanding as she saw: “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise.” (Gen. 3:6). In her rejection of God she chose the path of death.
Her sons, Cain and Abel also stood at the junction of trust and selfishness. God revealed the outcome. “The Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” (Gen. 4:4-5). Why? “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Since faith only comes by “hearing the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), Abel chose to “trust in the Lord,” kept the command and was righteous. Cain chose the path of selfishness, violating the command and doing evil. This is why “his works were evil and his brothers righteous.” (1Jn. 3:12). Both continue to be examples for us today. Abel, “being dead still speaks” and those who truly love God listen to his example and obey God. Those who ignore God’s commands “have gone in the way of Cain.” (Jude 11). God wants us to ask ourselves: Is my service to God like Abel’s or like Cain’s? Am I one of the few who walk the narrow path leading to life or one of the many who walk the broad path that leads to destruction (Mt 7:13)?
Noah and Abraham trusted God with all their heart: “Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5). Likewise, Abraham never leaned on his own understanding. When God called, he obeyed (Heb. 11:8). When God promised, he never doubted. (Rom. 4:19-22). When God asked for His son as a sacrifice, he was prepared to give it (Jas. 2:21-24). God called Abraham “My friend” because of this trust, devotion and obedience (Isa. 41:8).
The love and devotion of each servant of God was revealed by that choice. Those who trusted in God with all their heart and obeyed every command precisely as given were called faithful servants. “Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.” Why were they faithful? Out of love, reverence and respect they always chose God’s will above their own, obeying every command exactly as God sought.
While some consider the New Covenant to be more lenient, they couldn’t be more wrong. As noted in the introduction, our love for Jesus and His love for us are based on keeping His commands exactly as He gave them. We love God exactly the same way today as those under the old covenant: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1Jn 5:3).
Just as the Law of Moses developed over the 40 years they were in the wilderness, the Law of Christ also took decades to complete. In these early days of the church, the apostles were fulfilling Jesus’ mandate: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:20). After Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, He sent the Holy Spirit to: “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” and “guide you into all truth.” (Jn. 14:26; 16:13). As the books of the NT were nearing completion, this had been accomplished. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Pet. 1:3) When we believe and preach this truth, we “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Nothing in the NT can be set aside without revealing our own selfishness and lack of love for Jesus and for God.
The apostle John summed this up. Those self-proclaimed Christians who think they can set aside anything written in the NT are of the world: “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.” It is that simple. Those who hear and do everything written by the apostles know God and those who don’t hear are not of God: “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1Jn. 4:5-6).
The “spirit of truth” and the “spirit of error” are based on how we hear and obey their words. “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1Cor. 14:37-38). Those who can set aside a command written by Paul because they don’t agree with it are breaking a command of Jesus. That is the spirit of truth. The spirit of error proclaims that any command they have written that we do not agree with and won’t accept can be set aside.
Conclusion. One of greatest errors being proclaimed today refuses to accept these things. Jesus revealed that every book in the NT has been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Nothing in the Scriptures originated with them. They are the commandments of the Lord and those who set them aside are called by the Holy Spirit “liars,” “ignorant,” “of the world” and in “the spirit of error”. If we want to know and love Jesus, we must keep all the NT writers have been commanded by the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. If we want to be loved by Jesus and be seen as His friend, we must observe all things He revealed through His apostles. Each of us are standing at the junction of each of His commands. Do we truly “trust in the Lord with all our heart” or are we actually serving Jesus “leaning on our own understanding”?
- he end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl. 12:13-14).
- that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, (2Pet. 3:2-3).
- Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. (Deut. 11:1)
- But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them. 26 Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. Jer. 7:23-26
- Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it. (Jer. 6:16)