The Test of Love

Side by side with this answer of Christ’s, let me set the words of the apostle John.

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:4-5)

We see from these two passages that it is impossible to overemphasise the importance of God’s Word in the believer’s life.

To summarise, the keeping of God’s Word distinguishes you as a disciple of Christ. It is the test of your love for God. It is the cause of God’s special favour toward you. It is the medium through which Christ manifests Himself to you, and through which God the Father and the Son come into your life and make Their home with you. Let me put it to you in this way.

Your attitude toward God’s Word is your attitude toward God Himself. You do not love God more than You love His Word. You do not obey God more than you obey His Word. You do not honour God more than you honour His Word. You do not have more room in your heart and life for God than you have for His Word.

Do you want to know how much God means to you? Just ask yourself, how much does God’s Word mean to me? The answer to the second question is the answer also to the first. God means as much to you as His Word means to you – just that much, and no more.