“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” --John 15: 10
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” --1 John 2:3
1 John 2: 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (ESV)
We have to go all the way back to Sinai and remember the Children of Israel: “Whatever he commands, we will do.” The people chose a contract rather than a covenant, supposing that they could, of their own accord be faithful to the contract. But they couldn’t and neither can you.
The reason I can DO anything at all positive or beneficial or glorifying to God and helpful to others is ONLY because of who Jesus is, what he did, and what he continues to do. It is all because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. |
