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
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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.