John 14:21
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 14:21
This verse links obedience to love: the one who has Jesus’ commandments and keeps them loves Jesus. Love for Jesus moves believers toward deeper relational knowledge of him and experiential revelation—“we will manifest ourselves to him.” The Father’s love is the substrate and motive, and Jesus’ promise of revelation to the one who loves and obeys is a dynamic of divine disclosure. The context stresses intimacy over mere knowledge: obedience becomes the pathway to intimate divine encounter.
It highlights the reciprocity of love, obedience, and divine manifestation. God reveals himself to those who honor Jesus’ words, reinforcing the intimate, relational nature of salvation. This undercuts the notion that knowledge of God is abstract; it is personal and relational, mediated through Jesus’ words and the Spirit’s conviction.
Practical steps:
- Prioritize hearing and applying Jesus’ commands in daily life.
- Expect God to reveal himself in ordinary moments as you live faithfully.
- Build a life of practices (hymns, Scripture meditation, acts of service) that create space for divine disclosure.
Cross-References: John 14:23; Matthew 7:21; James 1:22; Psalm 25:14; 1 Corinthians 2:10