OBEDIENCE: The Final Test of Love for Christ

By A.W. Tozer

              He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,
              he it is that loveth me. . .and I will love him,
              and will manifest myself to him.   John 14:21

                          The final test of love is obedience, not sweet emotions, not willingness to sacrifice, not zeal, but obedience  to the commandments of Christ!

                          Our Lord drew a line plain and tight for everyone to see. On one side He placed those who keep His commandments and  said, "These love Me." On the other side He put those who keep not His sayings, and said, "These love Me not."

                          The commandments of Christ occupy in the
New Testament a place of importance that they do not have in
current evangelical thought. The idea that our relation to Christ is
 revealed by our attitude to His commandments is now considered
legalistic by many influential Bible teachers, and the plain words of
our Lord are rejected outright or interpreted in a manner to make
them conform to religious theories ostensibly based upon the
epistles of Paul.

                          The Christian cannot be certain of the reality and
depth of his love until he comes face to face with the commandments of Christ and is forced to decide what to do about them. Then he will know!

                          I think we should turn for a while from finespun
theological speculations about grace and faith and humbly read the
New Testament with a mind to obey what we see there.

                          Love for Christ is a love of willing, as well as a love of feeling,  and it is psychologically impossible to love Him adequately unless we will to obey His words!
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              Yours in Christ,
              Paul N. F.