Daily Devotional
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Pastor Scott
Friday, March 05, 2004
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"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
(John 14:15)
Your love directly correlates to your obedience. Do you love your wife and children? You love them and oversee their lives in direct correlation to your obedience to Jesus. Naturally that love is demonstrated by your fidelity, provision, instruction, etc. But everything you do has to be done as a representative of the Lord if it's going to be truly "agape" love. If it doesn't originate from the Word of God, if it's purpose is not to bring about spiritual, eternal and godly seed and fruit, then it's "phileo." What makes it "agape" is when God is the source.
Many times "phileo" love and "agape" love are hard to distinguish between. But what's the source, what's the purpose, and what's being accomplished? What fruit comes out of this relationship? Many times we'll tell the Lord, "I love You," and what we're saying is, "I have strong affection for You." The issue is not whether you are sympathetic toward the Lord or believe in the historical Jesus. Is He absolute Lord of your life? Are you keeping His commandments? Are you making decisions without Him? Are you making decisions for your own gain? Who do you love? "Lovest thou Me more than these?"
"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Not only will we keep the commandments, but they won't be grievous (1 John 5:3). Standards, goals, and disciplines are established as a guide by which you can measure your own heart. Do you "get" to go to prayer or "have" to go? When you delight in God's commandments and the Spirit of God causes you to realize their benefits and privileges--accessing the Holy of Holies (the throne room of God), experiencing the voice of God that transforms and refreshes you, standing against all of the wiles of the devil and all of the cares of the world--then you understand your mature state as a son of God to whom the Father delights to give His kingdom. Man's standards may have said Peter was no longer qualified to be a leader. God says, "I can effect My will in anybody that doesn't quit." Past performance--good or bad--is meaningless; it's present availability. Are you available to God right now? He will work in you to will and do His good pleasure! What are you making available to God at this moment? What do you have to offer to Him?
"I don't have anything. I just have these five little stones." That's enough. "I don't have anything but five loaves and two fishes." That's enough.
What are you keeping back for yourself? "Just this little bit." That's too much, because if you try to retain your life, you will lose it. But if you lose your life for His sake, then you'll gain it and take it back up again.
The Lord has a question to you as He did to Peter: "Do you love (agape) Me?"
Peter said, "I phileo You--I have strong affection for You."
"That's not enough, because your affection is not sufficient when you denied Me three times. Your affection didn't produce sufficient faith when you began to sink. Your strong affection for Me did not lean upon My spiritual weapons, but you drew the sword and cut off Malchus' ear. You keep trusting in yourself, and I will continue to bring you to death." You will not fail unless you quit. That's the message that Jesus was giving Peter at the Sea of Galilee. "You can go back fishing or you can go back and feed My sheep. Are you going to finish what I called you to do?"