In our age of love we have a sense that love is first of all about feelings. If the feeling of love dies, then love dies as well. In the book of 1 John I'm reminded over and over again that love or perhaps more rightly, the evidence of love is not attached to feelings but to obedience. John writes to his "little children", 2.3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. In the gospel of John chapter 14 Jesus says to his disciples, 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. Love, obedience, keeping the words of Christ are all intertwined. You can't proclaim true love for Christ without also living as he calls you to live. Certainly, there is the good news that when we fail to walk that path that there is forgiveness. But if we believe there is no path to walk or that God is indifferent if we follow the way of Christ we are sadly mistaken.
By the way the word "ought" in 1 John 2.6 has a strong sense in this passage. This is not merely an expected outcome it has a strong sense of obligation to it. This is the kind of life that will be lived by a person who belongs to Christ. If this is so, it behooves us to really look at the commands of Christ so we know what they are and how we are supposed to live. It also puts a new emphasis on the great commandment: Make disciples teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
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