HE THAT LOVES ME
JOHN 14:15-24
Key verse: v. 21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Introduction:
The Lord was preparing to be crucified, to be buried and resurrected, and then to return to the Father.
The Lord promises that he would continue his care of His disciples (v. 18): “I will not leave you comfortless:” that is, orphans, or fatherless; for, though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort, “I will come to you.’’
Here Jesus separates the Believers from the Professors. Here the Lord declares how others will know who is the TRUE Believer.
I. “HE THAT HATH MY COMMANDMENTS”
A. Jesus gave His commandments to His followers, v. 21.
1. They were His friends, John 15:14, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
2. They were His followers, Matthew 5:1, “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:”
B. To His followers Jesus gives His promises:
1. The Father will send another in My place, v. 16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”
a. Who is this “Comforter”? v. 17, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
b. What will He do?
1) He shall testify of me, John 16:14-15, “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
2) He will guide you into all truth, John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
3) The Spirit of God will do more, John 16:8-11, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
2. Because I live, you shall live also, 1 John 4:4-5, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.”
II. HE THAT LOVES ME WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS
A. The True Believer is manifested by his love by keeping God’s commandments, John 15:9-10, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 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.”
B. The True Believer will keep the Lord’s Word, Romans 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:”
1. Here is the proof of our salvation, 1 John 2:3, And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”
2. We do those things that are pleasing in His sight, 1 John 3:22, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
3. The believer does not find God’s commandments grievous, 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
III. BECAISE WE LOVE JESUS WE ARE LOVED BY THE FATHER
A. Christian love is manifested as a believer obeys the Lord’s words, v. 23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
B. The Father will show His love to the believer, Proverbs 8:17, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
C. Thus we have Christ’s love, v. 23.
1. As our Mediator, 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
2. As our Advocate, 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
3. As our Example:
a. Of humility, Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
b. Of unity, John 17:21-22, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:”
c. Of self-sacrifice, Romans 15:2-3, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
d. Of perfection and maturity, Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
CONCLUSION:
The greatest experience in this world is to know Jesus Christ as Savior. To know His love is to come to know what true is. He has given His all to save our souls from Hell and to give us a home in Heaven, in the very presence of God the Father. There is no greater love than this.