Single and Happy: Finding Your Love Life Every Day

Freedom

"The truth will set you free"

John 8:32

The Bible is a book of love. You will see the word love a lot of times, but you will also see a lot of obey. How come?

When we think of love, we think of heaven and of freedom, and when we think of freedom, we think that it's opposite with obedience, but Jesus shows to us that they are interrelated and inseparable, like the back and front of a coin.

"I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." (John 15:10-11)

Maybe we're thinking, "But Jesus, I don't want to obey, it feels imprisoning to obey someone."

Yes, it does if the person you're obeying is not doing the will of God.

If someone is commanding you to jump from a bridge, steal from a bank, or kill someone, do you feel that you are loving? Do you think you're even helping the person you obey? In these cases, if you obey, then you're exactly doing the opposite; you're helping them not to love, therefore you are not loving! You become slave!

But if someone is commanding you to do good things for your sake, such as being connected with God, taking care of yourself, avoiding wrong paths, detaching from unnecessary things, being compassionate, respecting each person's dignity, and giving more, and you obey it, then indeed you are loving! You become truly free!

Loving is obeying and obeying is loving, depending on the commandments.

This is what Jesus tells us, "This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this, to give one's life for his friends, and you are my friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:12-15)

By obeying Jesus, we are loving one another as He has loved us.

By loving one another as He has loved us, we are obeying Jesus.