John 14:15

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." (Logos 21 translation)

When we remember what Jesus taught we tend to stop with "Love God and love your neighbor." But, what does it mean to love God?

John chapter 14 answers this question. If we love Jesus we are to obey Him by keeping His commabdments.

In the Old Testament Israel is told to obey God's commandments. The New Testament is written after Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin. Obeying God's laws is not required for our salvation (actually it never was) John 14:15 is not saying that we must obey Jesus in order to be saved. It is saying that we obey Jesus out of love for Him. Our obedience is a result of our love.

In America today we have come to a point at which we ignore God's laws. We see them as not being relevant. However, they are still very relevant and important. But notice in John 14:15 Jesus is speaking and He says that out of love we should keep "My commandments". This isreiterated in John 14:21, 14:23 and 15:10. Is Jesus referring to the Old Testament law when He tells us to keep His commandments?

NO.

The Old Testament Law included the moral law, civil law and cerimonial law. In the New Testament only the moral law is reiterated. The civil law is created by our civil government. The cerimonial law ended when Jesus gave us direct access to God through His sacrificial death on the cross. So the laws we are to keep (obey), out of love for Jesus, are God's moral laws.