Keeping His Words

Narrator: Chris Genthree
John 14:21‑24  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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I think I can say, I love a personal breathing after Jesus, and the consciousness of His nearness to us. If we did but ponder it duly, what a precious mystery it would be in our esteem, that before we go to His place to be with Him, He comes to our place to be with us. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, has come, and now dwells in us, manifesting the Father and the Son—and soon we shall go to the Lord to dwell with Him, and see Him as He is. And this is more than visiting; it is dwelling and abiding—He with us now—we with Him ere long-and both of these dwellings or abidings are declared to be “forever.”
These manifestations of the Father and the Son, through the Spirit, are but poorly enjoyed by us, if one may speak for others. We want a closer dealing of the soul with Christ. A more real, vivid, personal communion. The enjoyment of these manifestations, the Lord connects with a keeping of His words (John 14:21-2321He 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. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23Jesus 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. (John 14:21‑23)), and I think I have seen that in some souls. For there is a generation of true, fervent, simple spirits, who greatly outrun the most of us. It is not that they are so much in the study of the Bible. No; it is not that. But they have His words stored up in the memory of their hearts, and they draw them thence for varied, living, affectionate use through the day. They know Christ, and in a way far beyond what the constant mere study of the Bible would give them. Indeed, such study, if alone, is not in the divine sense a keeping of His words; and has no manifest action of Him accompanying it. And, again, this having of the words of Christ, is something beyond the obeying of precepts.
A proof that the disciples were wanting in this comes out in the same chapter, John 14 The Lord had been telling them of His going away. Had they heard Him as they should, they would have kept this saying of His, and they would have rejoiced, (verse 28) Even among ourselves, we may say, this keeping of sayings or words is the proof of love. It tells another that He is in the memory of our hearts.