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!
              ___________________________________

Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.