JOHN 14 THE PROOF OF YOUR LOVE FOR GOD

March 18


JOHN 14
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. – John 14:15-24


JOHN 14 THE PROOF OF YOUR LOVE FOR GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
To love God, we are expected to keep our covenant with him
That means that we strip off our old nature and habitual sins
To say you love God and keep your old thinking is a lie
The proof of that love is your obedience to his word and laws.


In this account, Jesus gives his disciples the promises that the Father has for them when he leaves. He was assuring them that even though they won’t see him and be with him as they did, they will have more benefits. They will have the Helper which is the Holy Spirit to be with them forever. The Spirit of truth is another promise that he assured them with. The world won’t know it, but they will. The other promise is that they will not be orphans for the Father in heaven has adopted all those who believe in him.
There are conditions that Jesus laid down on them to keep the covenant promise between God and his people. If they love God, they need to follow his commands and his word. A covenant has two parties that comply with the agreement in order for the promises to happen. If God’s people cannot keep their end, it is to their own detriment.


REFLECTION
• What can you say about Christians who live double-lives by keeping sins close by?