Bible Reading: John 14:21
In John 14:21, Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.†John’s teaching in his first epistle echoes our Lord’s teaching here in John’s Gospel. According to Christ, it is only those who obey Him who really love Him. Furthermore, it is only those who are obedient to Christ’s commandments who are in communion with Him and His Father.
According to our Lord, He will only “manifest†(reveal) Himself to those who prove their love for Him by their obedience to Him. Therefore, as John teaches in 1 John 2:3, it is only those who “keep His commandments†who “know Him.†Anyone living in disobedience to Christ cannot possibly know Christ, since Christ does not make Himself known to those who disobey Him.
If to know Christ is to love Him and if to love Him is to obey Him, then, all who disobey Christ cannot possibly know nor love Him. Anyone professing to know Christ and to love Him while living in disobedience to Him belies their Christian profession. They’re a hypocrite, someone claiming to know Christ, but to whom Christ has never made Himself known.