If Anyone Loves Me

I found this to be very interesting this morning. I was reading in John 14 and came to verse 21. Jesus is speaking and says that those who love Him He and the Father will love. And then Jesus says that to those who love Him, He will disclose Himself to them. I have read this scripture many times before. But this morning the next verse really jumped out at me.

Judas (not Iscariot - the good one) asked Jesus in response what has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world? Did that sound like a "church person's" question to you? We always like to think that we are the special ones, like we have a one-up on everyone else because of some position or something. And yet Jesus appears to just be talking openly about people who love Him and how they will embrace the word and be loved by the Father.

This is evident in the way Jesus answered Judas' egotistical and religious question.He begins with if anyone loves me...no other stipulations were added just simply those who love Him period. For those who love Him three apparent things will occur:

he will keep My word
My Father will love him
We will come and live in him

Boy, that makes it a lot simpler doesn't it? There's nothing that makes us better than anyone else and nothing that will spur God to reveal Christ to us or in us except loving Him and keeping His word. Does it get any clearer than that? Take some time today to meditate on how great His love is for us.

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