How can I possibly keep all of these commands of Christ? The answer is, you can’t! Only by allowing Christ to live His life through you can you love and follow God. You must first believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, and then the Holy Spirit Who comes to dwell inside of you will empower you to do God’s will. God also promises to give you the grace to obey His will as you humble yourself before Him, acknowledging your dependence on His strength to do what would be impossible in your strength alone.

When we keep—that is, observe, remember, and apply—the commands of Jesus Christ, Scripture explains that we not only demonstrate our sincere love for the Lord, but we also receive many rewards.

God will reveal Himself to us.

“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).

God will dwell with us.

“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23).

We will abide in God’s love and our joy will be full.

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:10–11).

We will know that we know and love God.

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. . . . Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (I John 2:3, 5). “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

We will show love to God’s children.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (I John 5:2).

We will be friends of Christ.

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).

Our prayers will be answered.

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (I John 3:22).

We will be disciples.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35).

Remember: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Living a life of obedience to God is not found by striving or trying harder, but rather by abiding in Christ. God is the One that works in you to will and to do His good pleasure. In I Thessalonians Chapter 5, after a list of important commands such as “Pray without ceasing,” “In every thing give thanks,” and “Quench not the Spirit,” we find this verse: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (verse 24). Praise God that He does not just give us these commands, but He also does them in and through us! The only way we are faithful is because the Ever-Faithful One lives in us.