John 14:15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At t...
John 14:15 ¶ "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
In this section of Scripture Jesus defines a true Christian as one who keeps His commandments. He is very clear; those who do not obey Jesus are not really saved no matter how much they go to church or know their Bible, or how many good deeds they do. This cannot be any more clear. How many today will say they are going to Heaven but do not live in any way that looks like what a Christian is supposed to be according to the Bible? Jesus does not say we get to Heaven by doing good works, but that if we are saved we will do them. Look at James 2:14-17 and Ephesians 2:8-10. They both say we are saved by faith, but the faith that saves is never alone, it is always accompanied by good works which are the evidence of salvation. Jesus says this four different times in this passage. I think he wants us to know that the way we know someone is saved is if they keep His word which is His commandments. He also tells us that He will send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us forever. He will take Jesus place as our encourager and helper in this world. He also tells us that if we keep His commandments the Father will love us too and He and the Father will come to us and live with us forever since they are coming to make their home with us.
