Not Made to Be AlonePrøve

[IMAGE CONTENT] Love and Obedience Read: John 14:15–23 SOAP: John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.” Into the Text If you could build a healthy community with a recipe, two of the key ingredients are revealed in today’s reading: love and obedience. Love makes sense. Of course, we want to build relationships with people we love and who love us in return. But how does obedience impact how we experience community with God? Jesus tells the disciples that if they love Him and obey His commandments, God will give them the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with them forever. It’s beautiful to see that, even as Jesus is promising the disciples the gift of community, He is doing so in community with God and the Holy Spirit. We are also recipients of this gift, and we are never alone. If you have been hurt in the context of community, take heart. The relationship God builds with you is not fickle. It does not change based on seasons of life, location, or hobbies. We are always welcome to be with God because He loved us and loved us first. Loving Him back is simply a response to what Jesus has already shown us: that God would do everything to make sure you know that you belong with Him, even sending His own Son to die on the cross. We are not left behind or abandoned as orphans, but we now live with the Holy Spirit in us as we wait to be with Jesus for eternity. How do we show Jesus that we love Him? We are obedient to His commands. Those who are obedient to God show their love for Him, and those who love Jesus are loved by God. Obedience is proof of genuine love. Those who are loved by God are loved by Jesus, and as our relationship with Him grows, Jesus reveals Himself to us. It is a beautiful cycle of knowing Jesus, loving Him, obeying Him, and knowing Him more. Obedience leads to love, which leads to community with God for eternity. There is a place for you to take up residence with God in heaven—forever!