John 14:15 if You Love Me…

John 14:15 If You Love Me….

Context: Jesus’ words in chapter 14 are about bringing comfort to the disciples. 

John 14:18-21

Do you need to understand your present situation completely to be comforted by Jesus?

In John 14 Jesus is bringing comfort to the disciples in a situation that they do not fully understand. 

How is John 14:15 comforting? 

Is it correct to apply this verse by saying, “Go out and be more obedient because the more obedient you are the more you love Jesus.” 

Two Errors:

Antinomianism — against the Law (The only law is love)

Nomisn — An over-emphasis  on Law 

R. Scott Clark:“To him (the nomiest), obeying the Lord out of gratitude is insufficient. He fears that if we leave it to the Spirit to work gratitude in Christ’s people to produce willing, thankful obedience to God’s holy law, we will not get the desired results. So, he truly believes that the Christian needs to be under the law as a covenant of works whereby the law says: “do this and live” (Lev 18:5; Luke 10:28).”

Can a believer prove how much he or she loves Jesus by obedience? 

A view that suggests we are to prove our love for Jesus by being obedient is antithetical to the gospel. 

Certainly, there is a connection between love and obedience! What is it? 

Don Carson: “The conditional is third class; Jesus neither assumes that his followers love him, nor assumes that they do not, even for the sake of argument.”

In John 13:: Jesus washes the disciple’s feet.

The love that is commanded is based on the love displayed by Jesus toward them!

Being loved by Jesus changes everything!

In John 21: Peter restored

Luke 22:61

Jesus: Do you love me?

Peter: You know that I love you.

Those who love Jesus are obedient because they have first been loved by Jesus. 

Keeping the commandments of God is a natural fruit of those who have been loved by Jesus

Will we fall short? Yes!

Charles Spurgeon: “He that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation produces as the first fruit of his faith love to Christ; this must be in us and abound or nothing is right.”

It is impossible for a genuine Christian not to love Jesus. 

John Gresham Machen: “So thankful for the active obedience of Christ there is no hope without it.”