Scripture: "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments."—JOHN xiv. 15.
The love wherewith the Father loved the Son was a wonderful, never-ending love. All that the Father was and had, He gave to the Son. The Son responded to this love by giving the Father all. Cost what it might, He kept the Father's commandments and abode in His love.
Christ, in His great love to us, sacrificed all; His life and death were wholly at our service, and He asks of us that which is only reasonable, that we, out of love, should keep His commandments. Read verses 15, 21, 23, and see how the words are repeated three times, together with the great promise that follows. And chapter xv., verses 7, 10, 14, speak three times of the rich blessing connected with the keeping of the commandments.
"If ye love Me, keep My commandments." This precept loses its power because Christians say: "It is quite impossible: I cannot always keep His commandments." And so conscience is quieted, and the commandments are not kept. Yet our Lord really meant it, for in the last night with His disciples He promised them definitely a new life, in which the power of the Spirit would enable them to live a life of obedience.
"But what becomes of man's sinful nature?" you ask. Man keeps his sinful nature to the end of life. "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." The Holy Spirit is the power of God that works within us, both to will and to do, and so prevents the flesh from gaining the upper hand. Think of the text in Hebrews (xiii. 20, 21), "The God of peace . . make you perfect in every good thing to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing, through Jesus Christ."
O brother, these are no mere idle words: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments," and "My Father will love him, and We will make our abode with him." Believe that the Holy Spirit will cause the love of Christ to work in your heart in such power that you will be able to abide in the love of Jesus the whole day, and to keep His words with great joy. Then you will understand the saying: "This is the love of God. that we keep His commandments ; and His commandments are not grievous." Only believe—that the Holy Spirit will endue you with power to live this life of perfect love.
