Bible League: Living His Word "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."— John 14:21 NLT How can you tell if someone loves Jesus Christ? There are a lot of people that say they love Him, but how can you tell if they actually do love Him? Our verse for today answers the question. You can tell if someone actually loves Jesus if they obey His commandments. What are the commandments of Jesus? There are many. The most important of them are the first and second great commandments: "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37—40). Another important one is the one He told to Nicodemus: "You must be born again" (John 3:7). That is, you must be born of the Holy Spirit. Physical birth comes first, and everyone who ever lived was born that way. Spiritual birth comes second, but not everyone has been born that way. Another important one is the command to forgive people: "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14—15). No one, of course, obeys the commandments of Jesus perfectly. That's why His commandment about forgiveness is important. Everyone who loves Jesus will need their sins to be forgiven. Everyone will need forgiveness for their failures to obey His commandments. Nevertheless, you can tell who loves Jesus by the spiritual direction of their lives, by their sincere concern to obey the commandments of Jesus. People who only say they love Jesus don't have this concern. The spiritual direction of their lives moves elsewhere. They have other concerns that are more important to them. And while it may seem easy to judge the fruit of other Christians, let us not neglect to examine ourselves. Are Christ's commandments your utmost concern? There's a reward if you love Jesus. Our verse says that the Father and Jesus will return the love. Moreover, Jesus will reveal Himself to you. What does this mean? It means this: "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them" (John 14:23). What a promise! Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEzekiel 10, 11, 12 Ezekiel 10 -- Vision of God's Glory Departing from the Temple NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 11 -- Evil Rulers to Be Judged; Israel's Promised Return NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 12 -- Ezekiel Fears for Exile NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Hebrews 11:1-19 Hebrews 11 -- Hall of Fame of Faith NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.Insight There is more to Christian living than simply loving other Christians. We must be responsible in all areas of life. Some of the Thessalonian Christians had adopted a life of idleness, depending on others for handouts. Some Greeks looked down on manual labor. So Paul told the Thessalonians to work hard and live a quiet life. Challenge You can't be effective in sharing your faith with others if they don't respect you. Whatever you do, do it faithfully and be a positive force in society. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 68:28 Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has wrought in us. It is because of their neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true that Satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper. We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God himself. Foolish virgins we shall prove, if we do not secure the needed sustenance for our lamps. He who built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash; he who made us Christians must maintain us by his Spirit, or our ruin will be speedy and final. Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to strengthen--"that which thou hast wrought for us." Think you he will fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of his strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh! take your wavering faith and drooping graces to him who can revive and replenish them, and earnestly pray, "Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us." Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.1 Kings 5:17 Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 1 Kings 6:7 The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20-22 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, • in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, • in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. 1 Peter 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
    |