aBible.com     

John 14:15, 16 - THE PASSION TO OBEY!

John 14:15, 16 (KJV) If ye love me, keep my 
commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall 
give you another Comforter, that he may abide 
with you forever; 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   I am convinced that one of the worst 
things happening in our culture is the way love has 
been redefined. We don't understand how to love 
people because for too long we have misunderstood 
what it means to love God. We have forfeited the 
real meaning of love for an emotionally-focused 
but powerless substitute, while God has tied the 
idea of love directly to obedience. 
   In John 14:15-31 Jesus didn't say, "If 
you love me, say so," or, "If you love me, 
perform some great feat." What He said was, "If you 
love Me, keep my commandments." 
   When we truly love Jesus, it shows in the 
smallest choices we make. And while God owes us 
nothing, He does promise to bring benefits to us when 
we love obediently. 
   God involves Himself in our everyday 
lives because He really does love us! God 
understands our needs so much that He sent His Spirit to 
accompany us in our everyday lives. Too often we treat 
God as if we only need Him in tough times, 
thinking we can handle the ordinary things that come 
our way. Friend, if we have been given the very 
Spirit of God to accompany us, we are wise when we 
offer every moment to Him whether large or small. 
   I could go on and on about the many ways 
God blesses. The passage in John says God not 
only sends us a Helper. In addition, He promises 
to reveal Himself to us, to abide with us, and 
He also gives us peace. 
   When we live obediently we are promised 
special access to God. Why settle for less? Micheal 
Woods; Executive Director of the Western Carolina 
Rescue Ministries 

COMMENTARY 

   For a sermon I gave several years ago, I 
jotted down a list and titled it "The Evolution of 
a Passion to Obey God." That passion doesn't 
just spring up, full-blown at salvation. We do 
enter our new life in Christ with a desire to 
please Him, and that does include obeying Him. But 
an intensely determined pursuit of His will 
develops more slowly.  
   In fact, the first stage - fear of the 
consequences of disobedience - barely qualifies as 
reverence for God. But as we progress in our faith and 
form a commitment to obey the Lord, we eventually 
reach the final stage, which is love and devotion 
to Christ. Wouldn't you rather follow Him out 
of love than out of fear?  
   Getting from the first stage to the last 
begins with what you might expect - an increasing 
knowledge of Jesus Christ. As we dig into God's Word 
to see how He provided for the saints, we 
develop a desire for His best. Men like Moses, 
David, and Paul weren't satisfied with what the 
world had to offer, and we won't be either when we 
witness His work in the lives of His followers. So 
we test out obedience and discover that God's 
promised blessings are real. As we acquire a record 
of consistent rewards for doing His will, we 
recognize the wisdom of obedience.  
   Can you find yourself on the spectrum 
between fear and devotion? It is my hope that you 
have committed to obeying God and that you are 
reading His Word daily to learn how to keep your 
promise. God wants your best - your passionate 
pursuit of His will - because He is giving His best 
to you. [In Touch Daily Devotional by Charles 
Stanley at www.intouch.org] 

   Have you ever wished you had a 911 number 
that rang in heaven whenever you had a need? 
Well, I have good news for believers. We all have 
divine assistance thats even closer than a phone 
call: our Helper dwells within us. But if we are 
unaware of Him, well miss many opportunities to 
benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian 
life - the Holy Spirits presence. 
   Christ knew that when He left the earth, 
His disciples would be totally inadequate for 
the task He was giving them - to evangelize the 
world. Though theyd spent three years with 
Jesus, all they had seen and learned would still 
not sufficiently equip them for what lay ahead. 
They needed supernatural help, and so do we - 
someone who will come to our aid, empower our 
service, and transform us from the inside out. 
   The Holy Spirit is the only one who can 
achieve all this. Consider His qualifications: 
   1. He is a personal Helper, not some 
inanimate force. Gods Spirit is a member of the 
Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus 
Christ. 
   2. He is a practical Helper who involves 
Himself in every aspect of our lives. 
   3. He is an adequate Helper because 
Hes omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. 
   4. He is an available Helper who 
permanently lives within us. 
   Do you have any need that requires more 
power than omnipotence? Are you facing a decision 
that requires more knowledge than omniscience? 
Nothing we encounter is bigger than the omnipresent 
One who lives within us. Be calm and confident. 
No matter what challenges you face, He can 
help. [In Touch Daily Devotional by Charles 
Stanley at www.intouch.org] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150526-1519.html 


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090223-2102.html 

EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF 
JESUS 

1st of 28: Divine Dining: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY 
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ 
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs