“If you love me, obey my commandments.”

What does love and obedience have to do with one another? In truth, everything.

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book That Hideous Strength, “You do not fail in obedience through lack of love but have lost love because you never attempted obedience.”

“You do not fail in obedience through lack of love…” John 14:23 says, “All who love me do what I say…” Love, at the root of its purpose, is a desire to please. When we truly have a heart that is inclined to seek the desires of someone else over our own, then we are living in love. However, in order to obtain such a heart, we have to first learn how to surrender our own desires, laying them down on the altar of love. This submission is the first act of obedience. So, when Jesus says, “if you love me, obey my commandments,” He isn’t giving us an ultimatum, but simply explaining that, out of a true heart of love, we will naturally desire to do what pleases Him. Our love for Him keeps us in a place where obedience comes easily. It is not love that will cause you to disobey.

“…But you have lost love because you never attempted obedience.” What keeps us from being able to love? There is a dangerous spirit in the mind of mankind called independence. The spirit of independence will say, “I belong to no one;” “I am my own master;” “My body is my own;” “Whatever I chose to do is right.” This spirit puffs us up by keeping our focus on the “self.” It draws us further and further inward. It ultimately leads to pride and fear. We see the dangers of this spirit all around us in the world. We see it in our broken churches. We see it in the dishonesty on wall street. We see it our government and politics. We see it in our places of business. We see it in our social movements. We see it in broken marriages and families.

You see, obedience requires full submission. Submission is a willingness to belong. To belong is the opposite of independence.

Love is a state of constant surrender – of belonging. You cannot belong to someone or something until you have first surrendered to it. Who do you belong to you? Who owns you? I belong to God. I am owned by God, in Jesus Christ. In Jesus, I have belonging. In Jesus, I have purpose and identity. In Jesus, I am free.  

John 15:10 says, “when you obey my commands, you remain in Me, just as I obey My Father’s commands and remain in His Love.” If we love, obedience come easily. We cannot love or express love until we have learned to obey. Obedience must come first.

Why have we lost love? Look around you. Where do you see hate and division? I guarantee you at the root of that hate and division is a lack of obedience. Why do people fall into addictions? It is a lack of obedience. Why do friendships end? It is a lack of obedience. Why do churches struggle and fight? It is a lack of obedience. Why is our nation divided? It is a lack of obedience. Why is there fear of our fellow man? It is a lack of obedience. Why are marriages failing? It is a lack of obedience. Why has love been lost? It is a lack of obedience. This lack of obedience is fed by the spirit of independence. It is not because we cannot love; it is because we choose not to obey. Or, you may say, we fail at love because we first fail to obey.

When we obey Christ, we remain in Him. Scripture says that we are hidden in Christ. We are surrounded by His presence – His protection – His provision – His love. Obedience enables us to love. When we love, love will swallow the dangerous spirit of independence – that spirit that informs our very idea of “ourselves” apart from Christ – and allows us to live in Christ’s Life. Our true identity is only found in His Life. In the submission of obedience, I am free and free to truly love because I belong.