God has benefits for your life that are dependent upon your choices.
Your choices can release blessings for you from God “if you” do what Jesus asks you to do. But if you refuse, then those same blessings turn into curses, and “if you” sadly becomes “f-you”, you woe yourself. So many Christians by their own choices are woeing themselves today.
Jesus told the disciples in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Those first two words trigger many blessings in our lives with Jesus. If you, then the Lord, will pour out benefits upon your life. What are those benefits. Jesus spells those out for us in the Gospel of John in John 14 and 16.
What does it mean to keep the Lord’s commandments?
As far as Jesus is concerned, your love for Him is contingent upon this word, “Keep.” This word comes from the Greek word: τηρέω. This word primarily means to keep or guard something with care. It conveys the idea of watching over something attentively, maintaining it in its original state or observing it with the intent to preserve. In the New Testament, it is often used in the context of keeping commandments, guarding the faith, or observing teachings.
In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of guarding or keeping was significant in various aspects of life, from military duties to household management. The term would resonate with early Christians as a reminder to diligently preserve the teachings and commandments of Jesus amidst a culture that was often hostile to their faith.
So, what does it mean to keep Jesus’ commandments? In the simplest terms it simply means to put action to our words for Him.
I can tell my wife I love her, or I can ask her, “Honey, how can I show you I love you.” And she says to me, “By making the bed every day!” And I say, “That’s it, just make the bed.” And she says, “And put all the decorative pillows back on the bed every day.” Ah, now, a labor of love!
She says to me like Jesus, “If you put the decorative pillows back on (i.e. keep my commandments about making the bed) then I will know you love me.”
My response, “But honey, I don’t understand why decorative pillows (Your commands for making the bed) have a purpose.” She says, “If you love me, you will obey me and put those decorative pillows on the bed.”
Get it? God says to us, “If you love me, you will put the decorative pillows of my commands into your life, even if you don’t understand why I am asking you to do so.” It is not about understanding. You don’t have to understand what someone has asked you to do to show them love by doing it. The same is true for God.
If you will keep His commands. He will pour out his blessings, his benefits upon your life. But the choice is yours. He is waiting for your decorative pillow skills to be on display in your life for Him.
Keeping God’s commandments involves commitment, intention, and action. The same is true in a human relationship as well.
Jesus tells us if we keep his commandments, it triggers certain results, guaranteed! And these results are things that society at large is craving and starving for.
When we keep Christ’s commandments, He promises in John 14:16 to send His Holy Spirit to be another Helper to be with us forever. When we keep His commandments, we feel the ever-present presence of the Holy Spirit in us and among us. This is very comforting, especially in the dark times and seasons of our lives.
He promises not to leave us as orphans, how comforting to know our issues and our fears of abandonment are Christ’s supreme concern. He will come to us in the darkest moment, in the darkest place, in the darkest circumstances of our lives and be with us. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 91 that we can’t escape His presence.
If you keep Christ’s commandments, He promises you that you will be able to truly live. What does it mean to truly live? He promises you He will be with you. You will have constant fellowship and relationship with the Father. Jesus promises in John 14:22-26, if you keep His commandments, He will allow you to feel His love and He will manifest Himself in your life through the written Word of God.
If you keep Christ’s commandments, Jesus promises in John 14:27 to give you peace. Who doesn’t need peace amid our anxious society today? We are all anxious about something. Obedience to Christ’s commands is the key to true peace. So, the next time you are full of anxiety, worry, and depression, say to the Lord, “What do you want me to do, Lord, and I will do it.” When you say yes to the Lord amid your fears, you will experience supernatural peace, now the fear, anxiety, worry, and depression may drown out the peace eventually because you have not learned how to stay afloat and swim in His peace. But with time you will learn how to do this. It takes a lot of letting go of trying to control what is not yours to control. It takes a lot of learning to obey and trust not knowing the outcome and allowing God to flood you with His peace, to get to the place of true peace.
If you keep Christ’s commandments, Jesus promises you in John 16:1-15 He will guide you into all truth. What does that mean? Let me say it like this, “If you need to know it, He will make sure you know it.” If you don’t need to know it, He won’t tell you. Jesus will make sure you know what you need to know to do what He has called you to do.
If you keep Christ’s commandments, Jesus promises you in John 16:16-24, He will turn your sorrow into joy. I have grieved the death of my mom for thirty-three years now and I can say with full honesty, God has done this in my life. My sorrow has been turned to joy.
If you keep Christ’s commandments, Jesus promises you in John 16:25-33, He will overcome the world through you. What are you facing right now? What obstacle seems impossible? What hurdle seems insurmountable. Jesus is not only the God of the mountaintop, but of the valley.
If you keep Christ’s commands, you will experience all these benefits, but you need to know the “if” is up to you. And without the “if” of you, it becomes the f-you, the blessings become curses to you.
God told Israel in Malachi 2:1 “This command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings.
The choice is yours.
If you, then the benefits flow.
If not you, then the woe awaits you.
Choose wisely my friend!
Blessings,
Pastor Kelly
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