"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth." (vs. 15-17)
This is tough. Because the issue here is allegiance. Jesus shows us that our disobedience is not simply an act of sin... It is a lack of love. When you disobey what you know to be true and right and what Jesus wants, then you are telling him with your actions that you love your sin more than you love him.
I wish it didn't equate like that. I like to belittle my sin to try and make it seem petty or insignificant. But, when put into perspective it is a huge slap in the face of my Jesus. It is a disregard for him. Its a lack of caring or honoring him. Its hurtful. Its dumb.
No wonder God so aptly chose the illustration of an unfaithful wife to characterize Israel and his bride the Church. We are unfaithful. We look at the world and lust after it like a brazen harlot looks at other men. When we sin against Jesus we are leaping into the arms of our lovers and turning our backs on Jesus, our faithful, provider, lover, redeemer, husband.
But the command to love comes with a promise: The Spirit of truth. Jesus not only asks us to love him and to show faithfulness to him, he also gives us the means to do it. He puts his Spirit in us to help us to love the things that he loves and abhor the things that he hates. So, lets take a few minutes today and ask that the Spirit of truth would reveal in us our lust for the world and that he would be faithful to abolish those strongholds.
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