WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS?

"If you love me you will keep my commandments." -Jesus in John 14:15

It is commonly thought that Jesus means by the commandments something like the ten commandments plus many others. If this is the true understanding, then do you keep the commandments? Can you name anyone who does? All the many people—mostly non-Christians—that I have asked have told me that it is not good to lower the standards or to compare oneself to other people. Therefore compared to Christ how are you doing keeping the commandments? The only honest answer for any of us is: FAILURE. Does this mean that you and I are not Christians? No, because there is another way to interpret Jesus' words where you do keep the commands compared to Christ.

If you read John's gospel closely looking for Jesus' commands, you will find that there really are just two: believe the gospel and love the brothers. I suggest that these two are identical. Read John 6:27-40 and ask yourself what is the work Jesus commands. [Note: work is the only command in the passage in the Greek text.] Read John 14:21-23 and notice that keeping the commands equals keeping Jesus' words and that if one does this, Jesus and the Father come to dwell with that person. Don't all Christians think that this is fulfilled when one becomes a Christian? It was true for me 37 years ago. Isn't true for you too?