Last week we looked at some elements of learning obedience, today let's see
how obedience and love are tied together.

In His farewell discourse Jesus tells His disciples,
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15
Then in verse 21 we see,
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he
who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will
disclose Myself to him."

Then after being questioned by Judas (not Iscariot),
"Jesus answered and said to 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 abode
with him.'" John 14:23

We show our love for Jesus by keeping His commandments. Loving Jesus and
keeping His word, we have the Father's love, Jesus' love and He discloses
Himself to us. Then we see not only that, but both the Father and the Son
will come and make Their abode in those who keep His word.

In 1 John 5:3 Scripture tells us,
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments..."

2 John 6 says,
"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the
commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk
in it."

The Scriptures tells us that there are promises to those who keep Christ's
word. There is the promise of:
Eternal life,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see
death." John 8:51

There is the promise of the Comforter dwelling within,
John 14:15 above is followed up with,
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may
be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth..." John 14:16-17

Divine fellowship is promised as seen in John 14:23 (one of our earlier
verses.)

In Jesus' High Priestly prayer we have this divine disclosure,
"I have manifested Your Name [I have revealed Your very Self, Your real
Self] to the people whom Your have given Me out of the world. They were
Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed and kept Your word."
John 17:6 The Amplified Bible

We are promised that we will KNOW Him,
"And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His
commandments.," 1 John 2:3

We have access to God,
"I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one
can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word..."
Revelation 3:8

Our love for God is revealed in action! What action? Obeying; keeping His
commandments. Therefore, let us dig deeply into the Word that He may make
known what His will is for each of us. For He has said,
"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for
welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to
you.
'And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart.
'And I will be found by you.' declares the Lord..." Jeremiah 29:11-14

With obedient and grateful hearts we bow down giving praise and thanks to
our wonderfully gracious Lord.
Amen