Love And Obedience

John 14:15,23

"If you love Me, you will obey what I command." 

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey my teaching."

Romans 6:19

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Jesus is not commanding us to love Him, He is saying that if we do love Him, then we will want to do what He commands, we will delight in following His teachings. Loving Him will tune our hearts to what He wants for us, and our desire will be to please Him. Just like the loving child will want to please his parent, or the new bride joyfully submits to her bridegroom. This is the kind of relationship God wants to have with us. And when we do view Him in love, then we will do what is right and shun what is evil. 

Paul writes the Romans that he rejoices over their obedience, and adds another detail that is to our benefit: To be wise about what is good, but to not have such an intimate knowledge of evil, to be innocent about the evil, so we won't get caught up in its seductions. 

O Father, teach us how to love You by obeying what You have taught us; teach us to obey the authorities You have place over us in Christ, and to love them as You have loved us. You have honored us by placing Your Name upon us: teach us to honor others in love and obedience. And I know that by doing so, You will bless us with the benefits of Your goodness, and You will receive all the credit, all the glory, for You have planned it so.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!