John 14:23, commentary and pictures

If a man truly loves Jesus he will keep His words, and the Father will love him, and the Father and the Son will come to him and make their home with him. His words and commandments are the same as the words of the Father who sent Him and the precepts of the moral law, which is the transcript of God's character. Keeping them is not mere profession or form of godliness but willing, earnest obedience from the heart without reserve, for love makes disregard of even the least commandment impossible. The promised coming is inward and spiritual, not outward and visible to the world, given through the Comforter the Holy Spirit as Christ's representative, so that Father, Son and Holy Ghost dwell in the obedient believer. That abiding presence reproduces Christ's character and brings forth the fruits of the Spirit, gives full joy, peace, courage and strength, and prepares those who love Him for the mansions He has gone to prepare.

Setting and Occasion

Jesus spoke these words to the eleven in the upper chamber after Judas had left, looking upon them with divine love and tenderest sympathy as He was about to tell them of His approaching separation. It was just before the crucifixion, with a cruel death immediately before Him, given as farewell words with the command let not the heart be troubled before leading toward the Mount of Olives. They were comfort and courage near the end of His earthly ministry, first directing their thoughts to the great object of His mission and His joy that all His humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name. The saying answered the question of Judas not Iscariot about how He would manifest Himself to the disciples and not to the world, explaining that love shown by keeping His words brings the Father's love and the coming of Father and Son to make their home with such a person. That manifestation is inward and spiritual by His Spirit to those who love Him and walk in the light, while He remains unknown to those who love the world and reject God's requirements, and each step in faith and consecration brings greater knowledge of Christ who guides His faithful through dangers and trials though no longer personally present.

The verse belongs to Jesus' farewell words in John 13:31-38 and John 14-17, given as one connected section. John 14 belongs together with John 15, 16, and 17, with John 14 joined to chapters 15, 16 and 17. It also stands with John 6 and John 13 through 17 as expressing God's plain will for His people and part of God's plain will given to cure dissension and seeking the highest place. John 14 contains part of the divine antidote for the sin of the whole world and teaches the great process by which believers are made one with Christ in this present life to be one with Him throughout eternity, with the Saviour's life dwelling in them unto more abundant life. That call to show love to Christ by keeping His words, which means keeping the commandments of God, is the specialty to be pressed upon hearers, not only to be known but to be lived out in practical life in unity with one another and with Christ as a wall against Satan's assaults, so that only those who so live it will stand the test in the shaking time.

It was spoken in selfless care to comfort and console disciples whose faith and courage would be severely tried, knowing the trials His church would face through unconverted believers. It belongs to His words of encouragement in John 14-16 and His instruction before His separation and departure, meant to keep them from blindness and ignorance about His purposes and plans and to strengthen them for trials and temptations ahead. It gives hope and encouragement that imparts courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and brings strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time lasts, in words so simple that even children may understand, as a special assurance of love to be remembered in all their work and councils. It teaches that their work must rest on a divine Christ and that human effort needs divine power, for ministry without God's agency would fail. His words call for conduct changed by the Holy Spirit's cleansing power, showing that Christ's words were not being heeded by people whose talk and judgment harmed others.

The chapter deepens Christ's lessons for every generation, of great consequence for faith and life. Its meaning is understood not through reading its words alone but as the Holy Spirit writes and applies the Word in the heart, and when the heart receives the Word and cooperates with divine power it brings understanding, transformation, peace, hope, encouragement, and a deeper experience of God's love. It is therefore to be studied carefully and prayerfully with a softened, subdued heart, so its teaching can make the reader wise unto salvation. It teaches the right kind of faith that believes the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus and that Christ is the only Saviour, a faith to be cultivated under every circumstance and brought into practical life because without faith it is impossible to please God, working through love and shown in obedience to His words. Christ is ready to give grace, but people must come to Him in repentance and faith, for He alone can make them pure and keep them holy and obedient in doing God's will as revealed in His word, and the chapter was the subject of a call to humble themselves before God, confess sins, and receive a new conversion, with Christ's presence sensibly felt among people gathered in worship and the Holy Spirit's presence accompanying prayer, so that a heartfelt, earnest religion is needed to fulfill duty and let light shine to the world.

John 14 was the text of a Sabbath sermon to people newly embracing the faith. Its hearers were facing the test of whether they would follow the light and keep the Sabbath even if doing so cost them their employment and threatened their families' livelihood.

Love Proved by Obedience

Love for Christ is proved and shown by keeping His words and commandments, and everyone who so loves and obeys is loved by the Father, and the Father and the Son come to that person and make their home and abode with him. This obedience is the test that divides all into two classes, those who obey God's law and those who violate it, to be recognized in the Judgment, and by keeping His words believers remain in His love just as He kept His Father's commandments and abides in His Father's love. His words are not His own but His Father's who sent Him, so to practice His teachings is to obey the Father's message, and when His words are received and properly taken in they bring eternal life. Obedience is the evidence of love, and those who obey are promised the Father's love and the presence of God with them, with Christ loving them and revealing Himself to them and coming to live with them.

This keeping is not mere profession, a form of godliness, or a claim of love, but willing, earnest, practiced obedience from the heart without reserve, and love for Christ makes disregard of even the least commandment impossible. God responds when people draw near, for when anyone takes a step toward Jesus, Jesus advances toward them, and the call is for parents and children to give themselves to the Lord without reserve rather than serve Him halfheartedly, with the Holy Spirit softening hearts when the Lord comes near. Claiming discipleship while indulging self and following one's own desires is ruled out, for the self-pleasing person becomes a true disciple by accepting Christ's yoke of obedience and learning His meekness and lowliness. Obedience is the practical evidence of love and bears fruit in purity and holiness of character, and to the one who so loves, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come to dwell, with the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in Christ's name teaching all things and bringing Christ's words to remembrance.

Not keeping His sayings proves lack of love for Him, for the word heard is not His alone but the Father's who sent Him. The disobedient do not keep Christ's sayings or recognize the truth, do not see Him, and remain unknown to Him, while Christ is revealed by His Spirit to those who love Him and walk in the light, and each step in a life of faith and consecration brings greater knowledge of Christ who guides His faithful followers through life's dangers and trials even when He is no longer personally present. The world cannot receive His manifestation because it loves the world and rejects God's requirements, and this was spoken to answer the question of Judas, not Iscariot, about why Christ would manifest Himself to His disciples and not to the world. Together with the surrounding verses it marks a clear distinction between those who serve God and those who do not, so that believers who keep God's commandments are not to be treated with suspicion or judged by the world's standards. Because the disciples were slow to comprehend and understood many of His truths only imperfectly, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost sent by the Father in Christ's name, would teach them all things and bring back to their remembrance all Christ had said, an understanding later opened to them more fully after the resurrection.

Obedience is possible through life in Christ and through His grace, and no one is chosen for eternal life in disobedience to God's law. Christ kept His Father's commandments and abides in His Father's love as the pattern, and keeping Christ's commandments even as He kept His Father's keeps believers abiding in His love, that His joy might remain in them and their joy might be full. Christ's requirements are possible for His followers to fulfill, and this indwelling belongs with Christ's ascension to heaven as the heaven-appointed time for His representative the Holy Spirit to come to this world under the plan of the divine government. Obedience is the first price of eternal life, and unbelief shuts out this indwelling and the richest endowment of grace that would make a person wise unto salvation. The excuse of inability repeats Satan's insinuation, since the Saviour with crucifixion marks witnesses that the law can be kept.

Meaning of Keeping Words

To keep his words is to keep his commandments, which are the same as the precepts of the moral law and the words of the Father who sent him, not something different or separate. His word is not his own but his Father's, so to practice his teachings is to obey the Father's message and to heed what Christ says about God's law. The moral law is the transcript of God's character and the rule of his government in heaven and earth, and obedience belongs to the plan of salvation as the proof of love. Love for Christ is proved by this keeping, and those who so love and obey are loved by the Father, with the Father and the Son coming to dwell with them and Christ revealing himself to them, abiding in his love just as he kept his Father's commandments and abides in his Father's love. Not keeping his sayings proves lack of love for him, and this obedience is the test that divides everyone into two classes, those who obey God's law and those who violate it, to be recognized in the Judgment.

His words are spirit and life, and when received and properly taken in and digested they bring eternal life. Believing his words and putting them into practice are conditions of salvation, and receiving and living by those words is eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Taking this word personally is feeding on the flesh and blood of the Son of God and feeding on Christ, forming character after the likeness of his character through probationary time and promised grace given to keep God's law. The promise belongs to individuals, families, and church members as God's family to represent pure, unadulterated truth, yet it is not half comprehended.

Having his commandments means having light on what makes up God's commandments and refusing to disobey even for temporal advantage. Genuine love is revealed through obedience to all God's commandments, and those who do not keep them transgress his law, which is an obligation not to be treated lightly. Obedience joins faith and works as the inward working of the Holy Spirit with outward practical godliness, shown in loyalty to the Sabbath and through the Sabbath to every principle of the Decalogue. God holds himself responsible for every soul who bears that loyalty, and all who love God study his words and feed on Christ, living and acting in constant submission to his will, holding a secure title as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ to an incorruptible inheritance, needing no anxious care over earthly security. In its context this obedience includes loving one another as he loved his disciples, a love fully demonstrated in his death.

The promise is positive assurance to be believed exactly as spoken, more valuable than silver and gold, riches and honor, honoring God by faith in his word as enduring truth forever. It belongs to the church and to all who believe in him, and its promised presence and power are available to be received by faith rather than distrust and unbelief. It is to be kept continually in mind and used when the enemy tempts to doubt by answering No, leaving no excuse for failing to perfect Christian character. It gives reason to speak with faith, hope, and courage rather than remain in doubt and gloom or dwell on personal faults, and it is to be trusted as reassurance for those troubled by doubts about acceptance by Christ.

Father's Love and Indwelling

The coming promised is a lasting personal presence and guardianship that abides with the one who loves by keeping the words, and while trust in saving power is maintained the fallen host cannot harm, for heavenly angels guide and protect and saving power is given to do the divine will. These promises are to be trusted simply and continually with childlike trust, and accepting the word and the gift of life through the one who gave His life for everlasting life brings power to overcome.

The manifestation is inward and spiritual, not outward and visible, so that Christ is present though unseen by the world, and this is how He makes Himself known to His followers. He is revealed by His Spirit to those who love Him and walk in the light, while He remains unknown to those who love the world and reject the divine requirements, and each step in faith and consecration brings greater knowledge of Him as He guides His faithful through dangers and trials though no longer personally present with them. This abiding presence gives help in emergencies and perplexities, and obedience is possible through life in Christ, with love making disregard of even the least commandment impossible. It comes through the Comforter, the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in Christ's name as His representative and Advocate, who teaches all things and brings His words to remembrance, an understanding opened more fully after the resurrection, belonging with the ascension as the heaven-appointed time for the representative to come under the plan of the divine government. Keeping His commandments even as He kept His Father's commandments keeps the believer abiding in His love so that His joy remains and joy is made full, and the Lord works with workers who make Him their only dependence, since missionaries were never designed to work without grace and power.

We means Father, Son and Holy Ghost dwelling in the obedient believer, for the abode is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the humble, contrite heart. Obedience is the practical evidence of love rather than mere claim, bearing fruit in purity and holiness of character, and the promise belongs to those who give themselves wholly to God, whose trust makes their offering acceptable, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit working with them and Christ's power available to those who believe. God comes to dwell with the person whose soul is sanctified and ennobled, which is joined to the duty to keep the body clean and pure and dedicate it to God, with the heart opened, sin not knowingly chosen, and the presence reflected in fragrant character. Walking carefully with God and keeping in humility close to Jesus keeps all well even when others watch closely expecting stumbling and falling.

The indwelling describes close, abiding communion and union with Christ in this life, with nourishment received from Him, and this identification must be had in this world in order to be identified as His saints in the mansions prepared for those who love Him. Knowing Him here through receiving the crucified and risen Saviour as regenerator, being sanctified body, soul and spirit through the truth with robes of character washed white in the blood of the Lamb, prepares for seeing the King in His beauty at His soon appearing, and the life lived within shows to the world the power that comes to those who live it. It means Christ abiding in the heart and the Spirit abiding with the children of God, enabling them to do His will by watching, praying, acting in harmony with His words and cooperating with divine agencies, while God works in the believer who exercises faith and obedience. Keeping this indwelling requires continued dependence and pressing petitions to the throne of grace, for losing dependence and ceasing to pray leaves a person to be separated by satanic agencies, and the privilege fits for labor and trial even to reproach and persecution.

Blessings of Abiding Presence

The abiding presence gives living connection with the source of enduring strength, so that Christ lives in the believer and reproduces His character, replacing a selfish way of life with the fruits of the Spirit. Becoming one with Christ gives the mind of Christ, ends antagonism and opposition to God's law, and leads to obedience to all the commandments and to walking in the Saviour's footsteps. Keeping His words in this way tests profession of faith, for obedience reflects Christ's character and becomes a delight to His followers. This union calls for self-denial and self-sacrifice yet gives no cause for regret, because the Prince of heaven resigned His position as Commander in the heavenly courts and clothed His divinity with humanity to perfect redemption, and those who receive Him are adopted into the royal family as sons and daughters of God and made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ to an immortal, incorruptible inheritance. Obedience as proof of heart-love is shown in loyalty to the Sabbath and through the Sabbath to every principle of the Decalogue, God holds Himself responsible for every soul who bears that loyalty, and all who so study His words and feed on Christ in constant submission hold a secure title needing no anxious care over earthly security.

Christ's abiding presence brings a calm, trusting faith in the Redeemer's love rather than faith that rises and falls between spiritual highs and discouragement. Obedience is not joyless but brings abiding joy made full, with the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing upon the obedient, so that he who wears Christ's yoke walks cheerfully and bravely bearing the cross and becomes a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. The promise is true and gives reason to speak with faith, hope, and courage rather than remain in doubt and gloom, giving peace and hope and rejoicing in trouble and difficulty, to be believed as God's Word, laid hold of, read at family worship and presented so that the young minds of children can comprehend it, meeting discouragement with assurance that God will not leave His people comfortless. That righteousness is living the ten moral precepts as Christ lived them when one with the Father in human flesh, with character conformed to the standard, health and activity of every spiritual energy in service, uplifting of the soul to God in prayer like a flower turning to light, abiding under the Sun of Righteousness above earthly cares and gloom, increasing usefulness, hiding of the soul in Christ with God, and showing that God keeps His word. Those who act out the mind of Christ and speak the words of Christ instead of serving God's enemy with a harsh, unkind spirit have the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit come to dwell as a guest in the home, and only those who overcome the temptation to speak and act unkindly and harshly will enter heaven.

The inward, spiritual manifestation, unseen by the world, gives help in emergencies and perplexities, and love makes disregard of even the least commandment impossible because obedience is possible through life in Christ. The presence and guardianship abide, so that while believers trust Christ's saving power the fallen host cannot harm them, heavenly angels guide and protect them, and God's saving power enables them to do His will and brings power to overcome by childlike trust that Christ gave His life that they may have everlasting life. The Lord will work with His workers when they make Christ their only dependence, because He never designed His missionaries to work without His grace and destitute of His power, and He will give power and grace to present His solemn message in a manner corresponding to its importance. Keeping God's commandments is the platform and condition for receiving God's precious gifts and answers to prayer, so that one who walks contrary to God's expressed will cannot expect to receive anything, but one who walks in the light of obedience can be assured his prayers will be answered. This divine presence is greatly needed and must be sought by prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by companies gathering to ask for special help and heavenly wisdom to plan and carry out the work, and especially by praying that the Lord will choose His agents and baptize His missionaries.

The promise is positive assurance to be believed exactly as spoken, more valuable than silver and gold, riches and honor, honoring God by faith in His Word as enduring truth, given so that in probationary time with promised grace humanity can keep God's law and form character after Christ's likeness by feeding on the flesh and blood of the Son of God. This indwelling is the identification with Christ that must be had in this world in order to be identified as His saints in the mansions He has gone to prepare and will come again to receive them to Himself, calling for expectation of the soon coming of the Lord. Christ must be known here through receiving the crucified and risen Saviour as regenerator and being sanctified body, soul, and spirit through the truth with robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb, if He is to be seen as the King in His beauty at His soon appearing, and this life lived within shows to the world the power that comes to those who live it and binds them in unity with one another and with Christ as a wall against Satan in the shaking time. Their abiding presence in the heart is a privilege marking union with Christ in this life, which is necessary for belonging to His saints in the home He has prepared, for Christ must be in the believer and the believer in Christ sharing spiritual life even now to be prepared to see the King in His beauty. To have His commandments means to have light on what makes up God's commandments and to refuse to disobey even for temporal advantage, the verse states the terms on which eternal life is received, and its reverse test is that one who does not love Christ does not keep His sayings, which are the Father's. Earnest doing of His words is the very highest missionary work of God's chosen.

Tests and Daily Practice

Love for Christ is proved by keeping His words and commandments, and this obedience is the Bible test of character, love and loyalty. Those who so love and obey are loved by the Father, and the Father and the Son come to them and make their home and abide with them, while those who do not keep His sayings do not love Him. This keeping marks loyalty to God, while refusing His words marks rejection of Christ, and the verse gives clear guidance so that spiritual blindness need not be unavoidable. Obedience or disobedience to the commandments of God, which are the rule of His government in heaven and on earth, decides eternal welfare and future destiny, and now is the time of probation and test and trial as it was with Adam and Eve. The test divides all into two classes, those who obey God's law and those who violate it, to be recognized in the Judgment.

Refusing a plain Thus saith the Lord to accept the word and commandments of men, dishonoring God's law and forcing conscience to respect human laws and enactments, exalts the human above the divine and joins with the first great apostate and fixes future destiny against God. In the setting of a choice between loyalty to God and the apostate's side, keeping Christ's words marks allegiance to Jesus. His word is not His own but His Father's who sent Him, and He kept His Father's commandments and lived in His love as the pattern for remaining in His love by keeping what He commands. Keeping God's commandments in this way honors and glorifies God before heaven, unfallen worlds and fallen men.

Obedience to God's words is the measure of religious profession, including in business and in positions of sacred trust, where choosing human standards and methods instead of God's precepts misrepresents Christ. Earnest doing of His words is the very highest missionary work of God's chosen, and it connects with the gospel work of teaching people to observe all He commanded. God's Word should guide learning and be shared with students as they prepare for the higher life. The call is to walk carefully with God and keep in humility close to Jesus, which keeps all well even when others watch closely expecting stumbling and falling. Love is proved by keeping His words in daily life, acting out the mind of Christ and speaking the words of Christ instead of serving God's enemy with a harsh, unkind spirit, with the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit coming to dwell as a guest in the home, and only those who overcome the temptation to speak and act unkindly and harshly will enter heaven.

The verse is one of the chapter's rich promises and a lesson to study deeply and remember, with the promises and duties of John 13-17 to be carefully studied, believed as God's Word, and lived out in practical life with self-denial. It is a promise to be kept continually in mind, leaving no excuse for failing to perfect Christian character, and to be used when the enemy tempts to doubt by answering No. It is to be opened and read in trouble and difficulty when hardly knowing what to do, to be read at family worship and presented so that the young minds of children can comprehend it, to be laid hold of and presented to members of the family, giving peace and hope and rejoicing and meeting discouragement and disheartenment with the assurance that God will not leave His people comfortless, a promise proved true in experience. Jesus is present as the heavenly Guest when believers gather to hear His word, and speaking its message depends on words given by the Lord that can surprise even the speaker. Knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent brings unspeakable gladness to the soul, and the divine presence promised is greatly needed and must be sought by prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by companies gathering to ask for special help and heavenly wisdom to know how to plan and carry out the work, and especially by praying that the Lord will choose His agents and baptize His missionaries with the Holy Spirit.