You can’t truly say you love Jesus if you’re not willing to obey Him.
Key Verse:
“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 NASB
Background Context:
In this passage, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He assures them that they will not be left as orphans but will receive “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit, who will live with them and in them forever. Jesus draws a clear line: love for Him is proven through obedience. This love invites the very presence of the Father and the Son into a believer’s life. Conversely, those who do not love Jesus will not keep His commands and will not enjoy this intimate fellowship.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
Role of the Spirit
16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus 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. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
25“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
Reflection on John 14:16–24:
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another Helper,” meaning One like Himself who will advocate, comfort, and guide. This Spirit of truth cannot be received by the world because the world does not know Him. But believers will know Him — not merely as an external influence, but as God’s abiding presence within. Jesus ties this promise to obedience: “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.” Obedience is not the cause of God’s love but the evidence of our love for Him. This obedience opens the door to the Father’s love and the indwelling presence of both the Father and the Son. What a staggering reality — God Himself takes up residence in the heart of the believer who loves and obeys.
Application:
Obedience is the natural outflow of love for Jesus, not a grudging duty. When we keep His word, we experience the ongoing fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you want to show your love for God, obey His commandments. Jesus was the living example of God’s Word in action — not adding new laws, but perfectly fulfilling the ones already given. This same Spirit who empowered Jesus now empowers you to obey with joy. Loving Jesus is not just an emotional connection — it’s a life of willing submission to His word.
Closing Prayer:
Father, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who dwells with me and in me forever. Teach me to prove my love for Jesus through faithful obedience, not just in words but in actions. Let my life be a home where You delight to dwell. Keep me sensitive to Your Spirit’s leading, and give me courage to walk in Your truth every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
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