Good morning.
“Prove it.” Now, those are words that could be an invitation to an argument. When we have a difference of opinion with someone and they seem to want to claim that their point of view is correct, so much so that it can’t be challenged, “prove it” may seem like a reasonable response. After all, why should we take their word for it? If what they are saying is true, then proving the validity of their words shouldn’t be that much of a problem. But we all know that a statement like “prove it” rarely ends an argument. It is far more likely that rather than trying to “prove” their point they will simply decide to stomp off in anger. If this is true of a neighbor down the block, it’s no big deal. If it is true of your husband or wife, that reaction could be a very big deal indeed!
So, what are we to make of the words of Jesus in John 14:21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
Is Jesus demanding that we prove our love for Him? Is He saying that His love connection with us is reliant upon our willingness to do what He has told us to do?
These words of Jesus don’t stand alone. In fact, just a few verses earlier Jesus gave a similar statement regarding our love for Him: “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you the Counselor, who will be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. John 14:15-16
Now wait a minute…is Jesus saying that His living presence, the Holy Spirit of God, is only going to be ours if and when we prove our love to Him through obedience?
No. To all of those questions just asked, the answer is no.
Jesus isn’t making demands or threats; Jesus is simply stating the truth. This is the reality of our relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ our Lord: it is a relationship built on trust. We cannot say that we love Him and mean it unless we absolutely trust Him and His love for us.
We cannot say that we trust Him and mean it if we refuse to accept His love. We cannot say that we accept His love if we refuse to acknowledge that His love for us includes perfect guidance. We cannot say that we are His followers if we refuse to go where he tells us to go and to do what He tells us to do. When we refuse to obey Him, we are refusing to trust Him. If we refuse to trust Him, if we refuse to follow Him, how can we say that we truly love Him?
Jesus isn’t demanding proof of our love; Jesus is telling us that we must take care not to let our true enemy confuse us and cloud our thinking. Think of it this way: our love for Jesus puts us on His path. His path is built on love, the love of the Father expressed through the love of His Son, Jesus. This path leads us to eternity with God. This path is the way of God’s love. Our enemy never gives up his efforts to confuse us and to entice us to try other paths. That enemy tells us that the other paths are just as good, perhaps even better. These other paths look attractive to our carnal eyes. These paths lead us to pride and self-satisfaction. These paths lead us to places of temporary pleasure. These paths ultimately lead us to death.
Jesus calls to us, directing us back to His path. His voice is one of sure commands, coaching us on where to safely step and how to come to Him. His voice is one of pure love, there is no other motivation for His voice, no other motivation for His guiding commands.
Jesus tells us that when we are keeping His commands, we are keeping ourselves on that Godly path of love which leads to heaven. If we ignore His voice, if we refuse His commands, we soon become lost. Once lost, we will find ourselves off His path and our way will be directed by that other voice, the voice of Satan who wants only our destruction.
Jesus isn’t demanding proof of our love for Him. Jesus is telling us like it is, telling us that to love Him means that we take His hand and enjoy our journey. His commands aren’t burdensome, they are easy and made with us in mind (Matthew 11:28-30).
Say “yes” to Jesus. Follow His voice, obey His words, walk on His path of love. It will lead you home, and it is the only way to get there.
Vern