I was reading John 14:23-24 this morning and it says,"Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."
I was thinking how often this verse, in religious fervor, gets turned around - "if you obey my teaching, you love me" where the emphasis becomes obedience, rather than love! Sometimes word equations like this can be reversed and still be true, in this case, I don't believe so. Love would become, in our eyes, duty and work and this can lead to resentment, bitterness, etc.
It is critical we get this right - its our love for Him that compels our obedience, not because we have to, but because we want to!
What a great promise for those of us who get swept away by our love for Him - He and the Father will come and make their home with us!
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