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Verse 21

Love for God makes the believer more obedient to God. Moreover obedience results in a more intimate relationship with God that God’s love for the believer and His self-disclosure to the believer identify.

The believer’s obedience does not make God love him or her more than He would otherwise. God’s love for all people is essentially as great as it can be. However in the family relationship that Jesus was describing the believer’s obedience results in God expressing His love for him or her without restraint. When there is disobedience, God does not express His love as fully because He chooses to discipline the believer (cf. Hebrews 12:4-13).

In the context (John 14:18-20), this was a promise that Jesus would disclose Himself to the Eleven after His resurrection and an encouragement for them to continue obeying Him and loving Him. However that disclosure was only typical of many others that would come to believers who obey and love Jesus, including the one that happened on Pentecost.

Some believers love Jesus more than other believers do. This results in some believers obeying Him more than others and enjoying a more intimate relationship and greater understanding of Him than others enjoy. The way to become a great lover of Jesus is by learning to appreciate the greatness of His love for us (cf. Matthew 18:21-35; 1 John 4:19).

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