Obedience and Love

We have seen that obedience and faith are very closely connected. Therefore obedience is a good word. Now we will see that love and obedience are closely connected.

Here is the greatest command, “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

Jesus gives further expressions of the same truth.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

"And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." 1 John 4:21

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

“This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:17

The commands in all six verses are to love.
Now we will see how we express love. It is not by saying that we love, it is by obeying.

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20
How is it?
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
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. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” John 14:21-24
“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:10

John’s love for Jesus is expressed by obeying Him.
So we see not only in love a command but all obedience is done in love fore the one who gave the command.

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