Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching
John 14:23 - It’s time to take an inventory of your sins and think about which “dirty closets” Jesus can clean out for you!
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“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
John 14:23 NIV
Such a powerful statement! Jesus, in this verse from the Gospel of John, is speaking to His disciples during the Last Supper to comfort them and provide them with the last instruction He will give them before His crucifixion. He is answering the question brought up by Thaddeus (also known as Judas, but not Judas Iscariot!) in John 14:22 - “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus begins his reply with the words “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” This is as valid today to followers of Christ as it was to the disciples, hearing this as it was spoken by our Lord. Jesus is not talking about simply emotional love, but agapé love — the selfless, sacrificial love demonstrated by our obedience and our actions. Loving God is not something we’re supposed to do half-heartedly.
As far back as Deuteronomy 6:5, God’s chosen were told to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” This commandment is known as the Shema (שָׁמַע - “hear”), taken from the first word of the other half of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
Obedience to the teachings of Jesus comes from having a genuine love for Him. To demonstrate our faith, we follow his teachings. In the Old Testament, obeying God’s commands showed both loyalty and devotion to Him. Exodus 19:5 is a perfect example of the two-way covenant with God — “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”
Precept Austin has this commentary on the verse:
Jesus is addressing Judas' (Thaddeus’) question about why He would not be revealed to the world. Jesus' answer at first might seem a bit obscure, because He says that love of Himself is shown to be authentic by obedience to His words. The only one who will obey His word is one who is a genuine follower, a true believer. It is such a person that (after Pentecost) that He will give the Holy Spirit and it is the Holy Spirit Who will disclose Jesus to His followers. The rest of of the world will not know Jesus or His Father who make their abode with genuine believers. So this would be one way to understand Jesus' revealing Himself to His disciples (the 11 at first, then all true disciples that follow) and not to the Christ-rejecting world. Stated another way Jesus and the Father would not take up their abode in those who reject Him (as indicated by their refusal to keep His word). In other words, if one rejects Jesus, they are in effect rejecting God the Father. You cannot have One without the Other!
If we love Jesus, then we love the Father, and He will love us!
Once this is true, a wonderful thing happens — “we (Jesus and the Father) will come to them and make our home with them.“ This, of course, does not mean that the two will come and live in our homes, but rather in our hearts. Again from Precept Austin:
Steven Cole on the Father and the Son making their abode in believers - If we would only remember that wonderful truth, it would keep us from sin! How can you sin when you realize that God Himself is living in your heart as His home? If you’ve never read the wonderful little booklet, “My Heart, Christ’s Home,” by Robert Boyd Munger, I encourage you to do so (you can read it online). He shows how Christ moved into his heart as His home and began cleaning and remodeling each of the rooms.
THOUGHT- So if you want to grow to know Christ more intimately in the coming year, figure out where you’re not obeying Him and begin to obey Him at those points. You may have some dirty closets that you need to let Him clean out. You may need to prioritize your list and begin with one or two changes before you tackle others. It sounds simplistic, but Jesus promises that we will grow to know Him more intimately by obeying Him.
It’s time to take an inventory of your sins and think about which “dirty closets” Jesus can clean out for you!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s wonderful prayer comes from Prayerz.org:
Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that I may love you with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to keep your word and follow your teachings. May your Father’s love be upon me, and may you and your Father come and make your home with me. I surrender my life to you and ask for your guidance and presence in all that I do. AMEN.