“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.” John 8:43-43 KJV.
If God is your Father, you will love Jesus:
Jesus declared a simple formula: if God is your Father, you will love Jesus. To the statement that Jesus made: Why do you not understand My words? Jesus adds, “Even because ye cannot hear My word: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. ***” John 8:43-44 KJV. Jesus said that those who can’t hear him, that their father is the devil. ‘Don’t hear Him’ means that they were not willing to listen to Him, or do what He asked them to do and believe. This indicated their rejection of Jesus to be their Savior. Those who walk in their own pride and do not love Jesus or hear Him do not have God as their Father. John said it like this: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.” 1 John 5:1 NASB. Now who is ‘the child born of Him?’ We believe that one of the meanings of this is: Jesus, the Son of God, was born of God, when He was born as a babe in Bethlehem. So anyone who is born of God loves Jesus His Son.
If God is your Father, you will obey Jesus:
What did Jesus do? Jesus declared: ‘I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.’ John 14:31 NASB. The question to be determined is who is your Father? But this can be shown by whom you obey. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are [-] to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:16-18 KJV. If Jesus’s Father is your Father you will love Him, for He proceeded forth from the Father.
If God is your Father, you will do as Jesus did:
Jesus declared, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14 KJV. And Jesus always did exactly as God commanded Him. And Jesus declared, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” John 8:29 KJV. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” John 13:16 RSV. Jesus also declared, "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20 NASB. When you put these texts together you learn that if Jesus is your Master, you should do as He did and follow in His footsteps. If Jesus is your master, you will do as He did and obey His master, the Father. If Jesus is your master you will do exactly what His Father commands you. But you may say, ‘How do I know that I should obey Jesus’ Father?’ The key to John 8:29 and 13:16 is who sent Jesus? Who sent Jesus to this world to die on the cross for your sins? John 3:16 declares that God so loved the world that He sent His only son… to die for your sins and mine. The answer is that God sent Jesus. Who sent Jesus? God sent Him. So if Jesus is your master, you will do as Jesus did and do exactly as God commands you – the One who sent Jesus. So obeying God is not just for Jesus, it’s for you too - if Jesus is your Master.
How can you do as Jesus did?
You can only do exactly as God commands you, if you have been made free by God’s power. You can only do this if you yield yourself fully to God and ask for His help. “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 NASB. But if you received Jesus as your savior, you were delivered from the lusts of the flesh, if indeed you let Jesus save you. “If the Son [Jesus] therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 KJV. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:1-2 NASB. If you have been freed from your trespasses and sins, then you are free indeed and a child of God, but if not you still have the spirit that works in all of the sons of disobedience, as Paul declared.
If you have not allowed Jesus to free you, then you are still in bondage and will fulfill the lusts of the flesh, by ‘the god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) - who is no god at all. Acts 19:26 NASB. – If you are living in the flesh, then God is not your Father yet, for no one can serve two masters. Matthew 6:24. If you are still living in the flesh, then you are in bondage to ‘the god of this world.’ Paul declares, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 KJV. And John declares, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:16-17 NASB. If you do exactly as God commands you, like Jesus did, you will abide forever.
If God is your Father, you will keep His Commandments.
It is very important to know who’s your Father.
It is either God or the self-styled god of this world. Those who follow their own rule or their own heart, leave God out and have made themselves into their own god – they are still following the god of this world. There is no middle ground. Whomever you yield yourselves to obey, his servant ye are. If Jesus’ Father is your Father, you will be able to hear Jesus’ word and will love Him. If you can still hear Jesus’ word speaking to your heart - there is still hope. If you yield yourself to obey God and His commandments, then His servant ye are. And He is your Father.
Dear Reader, do you love Jesus?
You show your love for Jesus when God is your Father, and you obey Him.
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” 1 John 5:1-4 NASB.
If you love Jesus and believe, you will become born of God and overcome the world, and will keep His commandments, which are to love Him and others. (Yes, we used John 5:1 twice - to unfold more of its meaning that was needed here.)
Do you believe what John wrote is the gospel truth?
What did John declare above? That whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Are you born of God? Then you believe that Jesus is the Christ, i.e. the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! John 1:29. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you also love God, who sent Him. If you love God, you also love Jesus, His only Son. John admonishes us, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 KJV. So beloved, let us love one another. Now if you are born of God you will love others and the children of God. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.” 1 John 5:2 NASB. When you keep the Commandments you are loving God and the children of God and others. What is the difference between the ‘children of God’ and ‘others’? Anyone can become a child of God. If you share the love of God with others, or show it to them, this can lead them to become the children of God too! Love begets love! Those who are ‘children of God’ are born of God. - Those who are born of God also love Jesus His Son, and they love others and the children of God too.
Faith, obedience, and victory over the world:
Now John in 1 John 5:1-4 equates faith, obedience, victory and overcoming the world as a result of being born of God. Dear reader, are you born of God? If so you will believe that God can help you keep His commandments. If so you will want to keep His commandments. If so you will love Jesus and His Father supremely and you will love others. If you are born of God you will overcome the world. If you are born of God you will have the faith that is necessary to please God. Hebrews 11:6. Jesus declared, that unless you are born again, you cannot see or enter the kingdom of Heaven. John 3:3, 5. “And His commandments are not burdensome,” if you are born of God. Then why do some say that we do not need to keep God’s commandments? Their teaching goes against what Jesus declared in the New Testament - that you need to be born again, or born of God and have the faith to overcome the world and get the victory. John declares that those who are born of God will keep His commandments. John declares: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:2-3 NASB. “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him [Jesus]: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He [Jesus] walked. 1 John 2:3-6 NASB. Read 1 John 2:1-2 to get the full context. See also 1 John 3:4, 9, 22.
Those who say we don’t need to keep God’s commandments might claim that they are born again, but what they teach raises the question as to whether they are. Those who teach that we do not need to keep the commandments (or cannot keep them) - what are they really teaching? That we don’t need to love God or the children of God, or others or cannot love them. Why do we say that? Because anyone who breaks God’s commandments is guilty of not loving God and others. Because love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10. We think that it is obvious that those who teach that we don’t need to keep the commandments are probably not born of God, because loving God supremely and loving others is never a burden to those who are born of God. We say probably not born again, because there are some people who are new in their walk with God and may have been confused by others who were teaching error. But if they keep walking with God, He should reveal more fully what it means to be born again and their need to obey Him later, when He is ready and if they don’t become lukewarm. But generally speaking, if someone loves God and is truly born again, they are going to want to obey Him. Those who are born of God would never want to hurt God or others, but always treat them right. It comes with being born again! He who loves God loves the children born of Him and everyone else.
It is a serious fearful mistake to teach others that they don’t need to obey God’s law. Jesus declared, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19-20 KJV. If you want to be called great in the kingdom of Heaven, keep God’s commandments (by His strength and power) and teach others to keep them too. If you want to come under God’s curse – disobey His commandments and teach others to do so. – Then you will heap up guilt and retribution for yourself higher and higher - and it will come up before you in the day of the judgement. (We hope you don’t do this.)
Now the Pharisees prided themselves on their ability of keeping God’s law - those who cleaned the outside of their cup, but inside they were full of robbery, self-indulgence and all manner of wickedness. – Many of whom later became guilty of putting Jesus to death by the Romans. This is why Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees or we will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was infinitely more righteous than they were or ever could be apart from Him. They were really whited sepulchers, full of dead men’s bones. Matthew 23:25, 27. Jesus set the bar for keeping God’s Law way above what the most scrupulous, self-righteous Pharisee could ever accomplish! – It is humanly impossible for the strongest human being to ever keep God’s law – without His help! The bar is very high, infinitely high - for perfection is only through God in His mighty power to save you! The Bible lets you know God’s view of man’s righteousness: – It is filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6. Regarding the so called people of God (who are not born of God): the Bible declares, “The best of them is like a briar, the most upright like a thorn hedge. ***”Micah 7:4 NASB. Without God the best of us is like a briar or a thorn hedge in the eyes of God. And all of our righteousness is filthy rags. These so called people of God, the scribes and Pharisees were full of dead men’s bones. They were unclean, though they made a great pretention of being righteous. They were full of all manner of uncleanliness and evil. This also applies to everyone who doesn’t fully rely on God to make them righteous. Only those who are born from God can keep His commandments. Only those who are born from God have their uncleanliness removed and filled with His righteousness. Only those whose Father is Jesus’ Father – who inspires them to obey Him - are born of God from above.
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV.
You can be born of God:
Dear reader, if you were born again once-upon-a-time, a long, long time ago, or not long ago, you can become born again now, if you desire. Dear reader, if you know you have been guilty of not loving God all-the-way or loving others, God will forgive you if you want to be clean again and want to change. Just ask Him for this. He will enable you to love Him and others the way He wants you to by creating in you a clean heart. If you have never been born again, you can ask God for this sweet joy and get it too! (If you are willing to cooperate with God.) Then you will be clean from all filthiness of the flesh! Then you will have great peace! Then you will want to obey God and do exactly as He commands you, like Jesus did. Then Jesus will be your master, and you will be His servant.
Pray the prayer of David with me, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, who wrote:
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalm 51:7-13 KJV.
If you pray the prayer of David above and mean it, God will restore you to the joy you once knew! God doesn’t want to take His Holy Spirit away from you! He wants to give it to you again! If you humble yourself before God and repent, He will give you the joy of His Holy Spirit again and create in you a clean heart! If you have never given your heart to God, He will make you born from above too and give you a precious new life with Him that you never had before! God will then give you the power and joy of being clean and pure before Him. - The joy of His love filling your soul, cleansing you from all sin and from all filthiness of the flesh - filling your heart with love and gratitude towards Him and love for others – so that you may not hurt Him or others. This is what righteousness is all about!
If you love Jesus, you will love God and keep His commandments.
If you love Jesus, you will love God and keep His Father’s commandments. If you love Jesus, you will do like Jesus did when He declared: ‘But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.’ John 14:31 NASB. If you are born of God, born again, born from above, you will do exactly as your Father commands you too. If God is your Father, you will keep His commandments. If God is not your Father, you will be unable to keep His commandments and will not want to keep them. The key to everything in this life and the life-to-come is knowing who your father is. The key to everything is to know whom you yield yourself a servant to obey. If you yield to God to be his servant - to obey Him, then you will reap righteousness, life, love and peace! If God is your Father, His commandments will not be burdensome to you, but be your delight! If God is your Father, you will love others and the children of God. If God is your Father, you will love Him and His Son Jesus - the Christ – the Messiah of the world – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! If God is your Father you will be born of God, born from above and born again! Amen!
May the grace of God be with you! May God be your Father! May you love Jesus and His Father. May you be Jesus’ servant and follow in His footsteps. May you do as Jesus did and do exactly what God commands you! Amen.
By John Foll 1/21/2022, 2/26/2022, 3/5/2022, 3/12/2022, 3/13/2022.
© 2022 John Foll
