Love to God is the spring of true obedience to God. One who is not obedient to His commandments, is evidently not a true believer; for although good works do not save us, yet, being saved, believers are sure to produce good works.
Though the fruit is not the root of the tree, yet a well-rooted tree will, in its season, bring forth its fruits. So, though the keeping of the commandments does not make me a child of God, yet, being a child of God, I shall be obedient to my heavenly Father. But this I cannot be, unless I love God.
A mere external formal obedience is not sincere obedience in God's sight. He abhors the sacrifice, where the heart is not found. I must obey Him because I love Him or else I have not truly obeyed at all. See then, that to produce the indispensable fruits of saving faith, there must be sincere love for God.
[Charles H. Spurgeon]
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John 14:15 … If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:21 … He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:23 … Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
2 John 1:6 … And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.❤
