“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.” (Joh 14:21 AV)
This verse has the potential of being contradictory and confusing when compared to other truths. We know the Bible tells us that we love God because He first loved us. If we forget this point, we may be led to believe that God only loves when He is loved first. That love, as stated above is proven by obedience. However, it would be good to also remember there are different types of love and different levels to those different types. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He did this even while the world hated Him. God loves with an everlasting love. Paul tells us that we cannot be separated from the love of God. Nothing can come between the love of the Father toward His children. So, what is the meaning to Christ’s words? There is obviously some type of love that is withheld from the child of God if he or she does not love God by obedience to His commandments. The type of love spoken above is agape love. Agape love is the highest form of love. It is faithfulness and sacrifice toward an object or person without expectation of reciprocation. Just when we thought we had it figured out! But this type of love can only work this way. From the saint to the Father, agape love is the purest form of love by which we obey Him without the demand for love to be shown in return. So, how does that figure into the seemingly conditional love above? Perhaps we are not seeing it quite right.
A child can obey his father for several reasons. The motive is not limited to one. Perhaps the father made a promise that if he picked up his room, then would go fishing. He is motivated by the reward that comes from obedience. Perhaps the child straightens his room because if he doesn’t, he will bear the consequences of disobedience. That motive is fear. If the child picks up his room because he wants his father to acknowledge and affirm him, then the motive is for the emotional benefits of obedience. Maybe he sees that picking up his room is a good idea because he would know where everything is, his room would be safe and clean, and he could entertain others in his room. There is the motive of risk and reward. It benefits the child in a practical way. Regardless of any motive stated above, his father loves him no less or more for his obedience. His love for his son does not diminish if he disobeys. His love is manifested by rebuke rather than gratitude for his disobedience. But Dad still loves his son still the same. However, what if the child knew his father was going to tell him to straighten his room, and before his father told him to, he did it? The only motive was to show his father how much he was appreciated. He obeyed his father before being told because he knew the look on his face that was forthcoming. What would be the father’s ethical obligation to a son who lived to please him? Would in not be to love him in a different and deeper way? Dad loves his son. Nothing would change that. Now that the son had pleased dad without being asked, dad is moved to show his love toward his son in newer and deeper ways.
This is the understanding Jesus is conveying. As a child of God, we are loved with an everlasting love. Nothing will change that. However, if we live in obedience to His word and seek to please Him with our whole life, the moral nature of God dictates a more intimate relationship will be the result. God will not love us any less if we live in disobedience. He will love us still the same. However, there is a level of intimacy that can be had by the child of God as he or she learns to love God with the whole mind, heart, soul, and body. As we learn and strive toward pleasing the Father for no other reason that it pleases Him, there awaits a relationship we cannot comprehend. It is beyond words. The question is: how do we want to be loved and how much do we want to be loved?
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