When we genuinely love someone, we want to do things that would please them and make them happy. Sometimes that might take a little bit of effort, but it is worth it, as we love the person. We don’t want to do anything that would upset them or disappoint them, and certainly not on purpose. That only makes sense. We love that person. How about with God? In our Scripture passage from the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus speaks about this. Let’s see what He has to say.
Chapter 14 from the Apostle John’s Gospel continues the series of private talks that the Lord Jesus had with the disciples the night before His crucifixion. Earlier in the chapter, He had a sort of short question and answer session with His disciples. Now He repeated a statement that He had made only moments before, and that is that if we love Jesus, we will keep His word (vs. 23). Born-again believers have a personal relationship with God. That relationship is rooted in obedience to His Word. Jesus taught that to love God means to obey Him. He wove those two words, love and obedience, together. Words or feelings are meaningless without actions to back them up.
As Jesus continued, He spoke of the contrast between those who truly love Him, and those who don’t (vs. 24). We see this in the world today, including in the Church. People will say that they love Jesus, but then they turn around and completely disregard what is plainly said in the Bible. They might say that this or that doesn’t apply today, or that society has changed from the days of the Bible, and we are a “more advanced” society today. Yet that is disobedience, and Jesus says then that those people do not love Him. He continued by saying that if they reject His Words they are rejecting the Father. True believers are set apart from the world, and must stand firm in Biblical truth, even when society opposes it.
As our Scripture proceeds, Jesus goes on to promise His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to them (vs. 26). One of the blessings that the Holy Spirit brings to believers, is that He will continue to enlighten us in the things of God, and that He will bring to our remembrance what we have read in His Word, the Bible. God’s Word is without error, and the Holy Spirit will illuminate its truth to us. There is no new revelation, but He helps us to understand and apply the already revealed Word of God, and He will bring to our mind specific Biblical Scripture passages just when we need them.
Jesus then speaks of another promise, and that is His promise of peace (vs. 27). We hear a lot about peace today, and most sensible people desire peace in the world, with an end to the fighting in various locations around the world. That is one type of peace, an end to conflict, whether between countries or individual people. There is another type of peace, and that is an inner tranquility, a calmness in our spirit. That is more what Jesus is talking about here, and we can have that regardless of what is going on in the world around us.
Jesus’ peace is not a product of our surrounding circumstances. No matter how chaotic our lives may be externally, we can have an internal sense of serenity through the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer. The peace of God is an inner calmness that we can experience only when we put everything in His hands, our lives, our worries, our future, and fully trust Him for the results. When we face trials, we can be assured that Jesus is in control.
The Lord Jesus doesn’t always make every situation a happy or pleasant one. However, His truth always gives us peace, and will set us free. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit His peace creates a sense of well-being and wholeness in spite of what is going on around us. So many things are troubling in this world, but we can relax and rest in the Holy Spirit.
As these verses close, Jesus spoke of His departure, but reassured His disciples that He would return (vs. 28-29). Jesus is a Savior we can love, who will actually return our love. He will come to us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and will stay with us forever. Jesus will never leave us, will never throw us out of the house, and will never turn on us, hate us, or give us the silent treatment. Instead, Jesus promises to make us a part of God’s family.
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