John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. My friends, it is so clear that God is commanding us to keep His commandments. It says: If you love me (if you agape me) Keep (which is in the Aorist Imperative, meaning a command) My commandments. We probably all have this verse memorized by heart; But look at the richness of this text. There is something deeper than obedience because of duty. Notice it says ―If you love Me. Obedience done out of devotion is so much deeper than obedience because of duty. You ever have someone help you out just because they knew you needed help but their heart wasn’t in it they were just doing it because it had to be done. Or you have someone help you out purely out of love for you, you can see the difference in their attitude and it comes across more sincere doesn’t it? God wants us to obey out of devotion out of love for Him.
I remember when I was saved; I had attended church every Sunday and went out of the source of duty - that was what we were supposed to do. One day in Sunday school, my Sunday school teacher showed us the difference between knowing God - head knowledge and knowing God experientially. I realized I did not know Jesus Christ as my personal savior, I did not know Him experientially. I asked the Lord into my heart that day, and my heart was changed. I no longer went to church out of duty, but now I went out of desire to know more about God - I now wanted to go rather than had to go. This is the difference here that we should want to obey God's laws out of devotion to Him rather than out of duty. ~ If you love The Lord - Keep His commandments
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