High Octane Obedience

I was recently looking at a quote from Jesus in the Gospel of John chapter 14:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14 verse 15)

I think most Christians have a knee jerk reaction to this verse. It's a reaction of guilt. It goes something like this - "I don't do everything that Jesus commands therefore I don't love Jesus and therefore I am a bad Christian or worse than that, I'm not a Christian at all." We then go about "applying" the verse by trying really hard to obey the commands of Jesus to prove to him that we love him. Does that sound the least bit Christian?

Jesus is teaching his disciples about a new, high octane, fuel for obedience. It's called love. Look at all the times he mentions it in chapter 14 alone:

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (verse 21)

"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love me will not obey my teaching." (verse 23,24a)

"but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me...." (verse 31)

I'd say Jesus is trying to get something across. That the motivation, the fuel if you will, of obedience is love and not fear or guilt or duty. Notice how he frames this concept in verse 31. He compares our loving obedience to his obedience to his Father. Jesus let's us know that what he is about to do the very next day on Good Friday is an act of love toward his Father.

It's here that we know for sure Jesus it not trying to induce guilt with his statement of "if you love me you will obey". Can you imagine Jesus obeying the Father through the gritted teeth of guilt and obligation? I think not.

So how are we supposed to apply these verses? Certainly Jesus is calling us to obey his teachings, but how can we "decide" to be fueled by love in our obedience? In a nut shell, receive what Christ has done for us. John writes in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us." This fuel that Christ speaks of is not something we can muster up but something that is the by product of drinking deeply of the gospel.

It's pictured beautifully in our experience of communion (Lord's supper, Eucharist). The food and drink is offered and we can do nothing but receive it. As it's received, the food and drink are taken into our body as nutrition which gives us physical strength. It's a symbolic experience that reminds us of our acceptance of the Gospel. A spiritual nourishment that fuels us into a life of loving obedience.