If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love - the obedient spirit of true discipleship attracting and securing the continuance and increase of Christ's loving regard.
Even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. What a wonderful statement is this which Christ makes about Himself. In neither case, it will be observed, is obedience the original and proper ground of the love spoken of. As an earthly father does not primarily love his son for his obedience, but because of the filial relation which he bears to him, so the love which Christ's Father bears to Him is not primarily drawn forth by His obedience, but by the Filial relation which He sustains to Him. The Son's Incarnation neither added to nor diminished from this. But it provided a new form and manifestation of that love. As His own Son in our nature, the Father's affection went out to Him as the Son of Man; and just as a human father, on beholding the cordial and constant obedience of his own child, feels his own affection thereby irresistibly drawn out to him, so every beauty of the Son's Incarnate character, and every act of His Human obedience, rendered Him more lovely in the Fathers eye, drew down new complacency upon Him, Human obedience, rendered Him more lovely in the Fathers eye, drew down new complacency upon Him, fresh love to Him.
Thus, then, it was that by the keeping of His Father's commandments Jesus abode in the possession and enjoyment of His Father's love. And thus, says Jesus, shall it be between you and Me: If ye would retain My love to you, know that the whole secret of it lies in the keeping of My commandments: Never need ye be without the full sunshine of My love on your souls, if ye do but carry yourselves in the same obedient frame toward Me as I do toward My Father.