how we keep His commands

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:15

This has always been true of God’s people. They are called to love God and obey Him. It was what was asked of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is what determined the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is what the Law that Moses brought down from Sinai demanded of Israel. To love God we respect and do what He reveals. We keep His commands.

When Jesus asked His followers to do the same, He gave them a new means to do so. His death would supply His righteousness so that our sins would not keep us from a holy God. And the gift of the Holy Spirit to be our Helper (John 14:16) would provide the way for us to keep His commandments. By the Spirit of God given by God we can forever obey God’s commands. We have a capacity to keep His commands because of the forgiveness provided by the Son. We have the capacity to obey in relationship with God’s Holy Spirit. And we have access to acceptance of the Father by the gifts of His grace in sending His Son to save us and His Spirit to live in us.

We are not left alone to try to figure out how to obey. Through the Spirit we are drawn to keep faith and love God. He seals us until the day of our redemption. And Jesus will love us and be made known to and in us (John 14:21). We love Jesus and keep His commands not because we are so great, but because He is, and He has provided all we need to do so!