![]() And, Scripture tells us, His commands are not burdensome rather they encompass life giving freedom and victory:ģ This is love for God: to obey his commands. Obedience will always be the true test of love for our Savior – not head knowledge, not wordy assent, not heavy emotionalism but rather simple obedience to the commands of God. In the above verse Jesus was speaking specifically to His disciples yet in our verse for today He is laying down a general principal applicable for all Christians for all time. Repetition in Scripture is always given as a red flag – so to speak - to grab our attention - emphasizing its importance:ġ5 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15 (NIV) Just a few verses prior - in this same chapter – our Lord stated the exact same thing – albeit a bit more succinct. “Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love for Him.” Nathanael Emmons 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? James 2:14-20 (NIV) Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James, Jesus half brother, tells us:ġ4 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. Head knowledge, good feelings and fervent emotions are useless if they are not accompanied by action. We are to follow our Lord’s perfect example of obedience to His Father. If we profess to love Christ we must show it with our lives. This is not what saves us – our best works being full of imperfections - rather, Scripture states, it manifests our salvation. Obedience is the evidence of grace in a life. Purity is not a gift – it is the result of repentance and serious pursuit of God.” Frances J. ![]() “Holiness is not a feeling – it is the end product of obedience. It is a steady obedience – walking in Christ’s ways – that is the proof of our being true believers. This lesson is vastly important for our own good and therefore one that we need to be continually reminded of. Keeping Christ’s commandments is and always has been the best test of our love for Jesus. Our Lord again reminds us that the manifestation of our love for Him will be in our obedience to His commands. ![]()
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