What did Jesus mean when he said "If you love Me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15)?

Happy Riches Answers

What did Jesus mean when he said "If you love Me you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15)?

Did Jesus mean that we are to keep two commandments? Or did Jesus mean we are to keep all His commandments?

Some people think that Jesus only meant to love Him and their neighbor as themselves (Luke 10:27) is one commandment: You shall love.  We have to admit that sounds like two commandments and not one. In fact, there was a time when I thought that this is what Jesus meant, because the people I used to fellowship with and the leaders I used to sit under as a young Christian influenced me so. Yet within my spirit, I would feel that there was something wrong with this. Not that there is anything wrong with love being the abiding principle for life.

Having been associated with Seventh Day Adventists and Seventh Day Baptists, the other problem was the Spirit of God had shown me that the Sabbath Day was not one in seven days of the week to be observed fifty-two times a year and observation of the Sabbath was not about attending a meeting on Saturdays. The Sabbath is actually now. The Sabbath began when God finished His labors of Creation (Hebrews 4:4-11). The Sabbath will remain until He creates a New Earth and New Heaven (2 Peter 3:11-13).

The other difficulty was the first commandment of the Decalogue. This states that the people were in Egypt and definitely applies to them. The commandment explicitly states, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt...."

People truncate the first commandment so that it does not mention Egypt, but this is not what the first commandment states.

Eventually, I was ready to receive illumination of the truth by the Holy Spirit. I realized that the Ten Commandments and the two commandments that Jesus mentioned, known as the Great Commandment and the Second Commandment, were actually the Ten Commandments. The first five Commandments referred to God and the second group of five commandments referred to humans. The Ten Commandments were written by God Himself and communicated to Moses through the Son of God, who stood there on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:5).

People who point to the Sabbath and make observations have a tendency to become accusers (Colossians 2:16). Now the accuser is the Devil (Revelation 12:10). When people become accusers, they are doing what the Devil does. Jesus is not an accuser. Jesus is the Savior (1 John 4:14).

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments, but we need to repent from our sins first (Hebrews 6:1). Many people have no idea of what sin is actually; therefore they are unable to truly love Jesus. One of the reasons for this is because people also have different ideas of what is love. Most people have a concept of love that includes what they like for themselves but excludes what God requires of them.

For instance, we might love receiving attention and want people to love us, but we are not prepared to give others the same amount of attention. How often do you see people who are so-called Christian leaders, claiming to be servants of Christ, dominating the show and lording over others like CEOs?

Jesus also said that the greatest among you would be the servant of you all (Matthew 23:11). Now a servant is not somebody who is seeking attention or someone who is lording over others. A servant is somebody who attends to the needs of others. "Needs" is a loaded word and does not mean "wants", and there are different needs such a basic need (water, food, shelter, warmth), a need for purpose and the need for eternal life.

If we love Lord Jesus Christ, we ought to walk in the way He walked (1 John 2:6) and seek to attend to the needs of other people (Acts 10:38).

How many commandments are there to keep? Are rites commandments? When Jesus said that his disciples were to break bread and drink of the cup of blessing whenever they meet, could this be called a commandment? Some say, "Yes." Others say, "No." The same applies to baptism.

A more illuminating discussion concerning the Sabbath and observance of the cup of blessing is available at the following link:

The Sabbath was designed For You To Enjoy And Possess Life

DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TWO TESTAMENTS? What's The Difference Between The Old Testament And The New Testament? That there is a difference between the two testaments is obvious to all who read them.

What's the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament?

Harry Riches • Answers

The Old Testament is not a science textbook and neither is the New Testament, so in this respect they are the same. Also there is no difference in that the 66 books of which they both comprise are to be received as the authoritative inspired written word of God. Moreover the message is the same that God loves His Creation and desires that every man and woman comes to the knowledge of the truth and takes up the inheritance that rightfully belongs to each one. If the inheritance is forsaken then eternal life is forsaken and each one will have to bear the guilt of his or her own sin.

The Old Testament comprises of 12 more books than the 27 books of the New Testament. The Old Testament as accepted by most non-Catholics consists of the books that are accepted by the Jews as the inspired written word of God, which include the only words ever recorded to have been written by God Himself.

The Old Testament records God's plan for this present Earth as shown to Moses and expounded upon by the prophets. It also records the outworking of the plan to bring about the Savior of the World who redeems what the first man Adam lost. This plan was exemplified in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. In this respect the Bible is a reliable historical document, even if fools reject the abundant archaeological evidence that verifies this. For not only is there an abundance of verifiable archaeological evidence that testifies to the Exodus and the whereabouts of Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb, there is also evidence for Noah's Ark and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and much more.

One of the features of the Old Testament is how often reference is made to the deliverance of the nation Israel from Egypt. Many times the nation Israel is referred to rather than the individual.

The Old Testament testifies to Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostles used the Old Testament to teach about Lord Jesus Christ in the first century after His death, while the New Testament was being composed.

The New Testament is a written record of what Jesus stated comprising of four gospels for different reasons, a historical record, epistles and a prophetic book. The book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke are a historical record of what happened during the days of Jesus and the apostles; they were authored by a medical practitioner. The Apostle Paul wrote most of the Epistles, except for Hebrews, James, Peter, John and Jude. These epistles provide insight into the Old Testament  and the manifestation of Word of Life that was with the Father from the beginning. The Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy that gives an indication of the seven eras of the Church Age and what shall take place in the last days once the Laodicean era has produced a church that has become so worldly that distinguishing it from the secular is close to impossible.

The differences between the two testaments is often summed up as the Old Testament being the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

However, while it is true in many respects that the New Testament is a revealing of the hidden purpose of God within the Old Testament, not everything is revealed so readily. Only by walking with God is a person able to learn the truth and demonstrate this knowledge in his or her life. In this respect, the New Testament tends to refer to the individual more than the Old Testament. This is because the New Testament appeals more to the Gentile nations than what it does to the Jew.

In the main the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament have to do with the era they were written, with one book being canonized by the Jews and the other being canonized by Christians. Nevertheless, for those who understand the significance of the Mosaic Covenant and the many types therein, the 66 books of the Bible are typed in the ornamental flowers, buds and knops of the lamp stand that was placed on the table opposite the show bread in the Holy Place.

The Only Way To Walk With God Is To Be An Overcomer and Possess Life

THE SUBCONSCIOUS EXISTS EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE ITS EXISTENCE. When People Pray And Receive Answers In Their Thoughts, It Is Possible That This Is Not Heavenly Inspiration But The Person's Own Subconscious. One person wants to know the whether he is hearing God or his subconscious.

Christians, am I talking to my subconscious when I pray and hear a reply?

When I try and speak to Jesus and God, I get a reply, but then I feel that its coming from me and not from an outside source, I feel like I am being deluded, I am crying to my subconscious, that's why I am having these Weird Jesus Dreams.

Happy Riches, Answers

First of all, how do you know you have a subconscious? If somebody told you about the concept, then that is that person's belief.

The reality is we know the material realm with our five senses. Yet we can smell things we cannot see. We can hear sounds we cannot see. In the dark we can touch things we cannot see. Taste requires us to touch something. Seeing requires light.

We have dreams, which are usually based upon what we have seen. Ask a blind person what he or she dreams about. Congenitally blind people do not have dreams; neither has rapid eye movement been detected within their sleeping phase. If persons go blind later in life, their dreaming becomes less frequent. However, blind people report audio arousal when asleep.

We have emotions that respond to what people say. We have emotions that suddenly come upon us for no apparent reason. These can occur as we walk into different rooms or if we pick up the mood of a crowd. They are unseen. But they occur.

What we realize is that there are two worlds. One world is more evident than the other. The unseen world is not as evident as the world that we can see and touch.

Materialists will claim that everything has to do with atoms that form biological and chemical constituents. They believe there is a gene for everything; only they  cannot find them. But they believe, nevertheless.

Believe is an interesting word. Believing is something that we do without actually doing anything physical. People who claim they are scientists believe their ideas are immutable, even when proven wrong. They merely adjust their reasoning to suit themselves and deny the obvious. The scientific belief goes something like this: death does not exist; but if it does, there is nothing that exists, except materialism and the transference of energy from one state to another; but this is chaotic and everything randomly occurs except for incremental complexity resulting from the guiding force of natural selection. They believe that a guiding force means that nothing exists to guide the force.

The person who desires to know the guiding force that enables life and meaning to exist has to recognize that this force exists outside of oneself. The first law of thermodynamics essentially states that a living thing may have the ability to replicate itself and procreate, but does not have the capacity to create another living thing. The distinction between create and procreate needs to be understood. And creating machines is the not the same as creating life that has the capacity to procreate.

The guiding force of life lives outside of us. In fact, according to the Bible we live inside of the guiding force. In the book of Acts, we read the following:

And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, thatthey should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him.Yet he is not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’. (Acts 17:26-28a)

Now the dreams that you are having could have one of three origins:

1. You could be very religious or intense and the dreams are reflecting unconscious desires or conflicts that need resolution.
2. The prince of the power of the air that reigns in this world could be causing weird (if kinky and ungodly) dreams about Lord Jesus Christ, in an attempt for you to go mad.
3. You could be having a dream inspired by God.

If you are having a dream inspired by God, this will be clear and you will know what to do. Although, I have heard of people who have had recurring dreams that they claimed were from God, only they had no initial inclination act upon them. In each case, when the persons did what they believed they were told to do in the dreams, the recurring dreams stopped. However, such dreams could also have originated from their conscience.

Dreams that are influenced by the Evil One are usually anti-Christ.  They are nightmarish and possess harmful desires to steal, kill and destroy what is good.

Unresolved conflicts should be resolved by seeking God out and asking for forgiveness after having forgiven other people in accordance to the Lord's prayer. Forgiveness lies at the heart of many problems. (Read The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God for more insight.)

As for thoughts, if you have repented and forsaken your wicked thoughts, and if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then He will lead you and teach you all truth, and your thoughts will become as God's thoughts. For this is what God requires of us:

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him;  and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:7-9)

 Jesus said:

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

However, in order for the Holy Spirit to teach you, you need to memorize Scripture. If you memorize significant portions of the New Testament chapter by chapter, the Holy Spirit will bring this back to your remembrance and He will teach you the truth.  Moreover, the Holy Spirit never teaches you anything that is outside of the Ten Commandments. If you are having a voice of thoughts that tell you to dishonor God, murder, steal, commit sexual sin, bear false witness, to be covetous or anything that suggests self-exaltation, dismiss them as not being of God. In this respect, it helps, if you understand the Ten Commandments.

There is a book that is called How To Hear God's Voice that is worth reading. This instructs you how you can learn to discern God's voice through the practice of journaling.

God has spoken to me on numerous occasions. On these occasions, I have heard an external voice. The Evil One is more subtle and he will speak through someone else and attempt to get into my thoughts. But if you really want to grow as a Christian and enter into the Kingdom of God, you really need to understand the milk of the word as opposed to only seeing the Kingdom of God.

• Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above,he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
• Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
• Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
• That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
• Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’
• The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:3-8)

There is a difference between seeing and entering the Kingdom of God. To see the Kingdom of God is to be a recipient of the word of God and acknowledge the call of God. To enter the Kingdom of God means to be walking in the Spirit of God. Those who have not had this experience do not understand what really happens and they come up with distorted ideas. (Kind of like a child telling another child what happens when they were born and how their parents made them.)

Know for sure that God sees your thoughts and knows the intentions of your heart. He hears your prayers.

Raymond, you need to be first born from above and become a recipient of the word of God (the seed of eternal life) and seek God so that the seed might grow. The following will give you sound guidance: The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God That Lead To Life.

GOD DID NOT NEED TO HAVE A SON. Yet The Jewish Book Of The Tanakh States That God Has A Son. Therefore it is understandable the Christians would know that God has a Son.

Christianity: Is Jesus God's son because God says he is, or because God actually is the father of a child?

Harry Riches, Answers

The word "son" from a human point of view denotes the male child that originates from two becoming one.

If we do an inductive study from the Bible, rather than a deductive study based upon an assumption, we come up with a very interesting theology that is not exactly what Christendom might proclaim.

The Bible says that God made man in his own image. But look what the Bible really says is the image of God—male and female.  To suggest that either male or female alone are images of God is not exactly what is being said here. Also we note what Paul says in respect to a man and woman becoming one, which represents the image of God because the Lord God is One.

Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Mark 12:29)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)

Two becoming One is the Biblical concept. There is no three becoming One mentioned in the Bible. However, if a man and a woman become one flesh, eventually, they bring forth a third.

In the Gospel of John, we learn that no one has seen God, referring to the Father, but when it comes to the Son, this is a different matter. If we cannot understand the simple Earthly truths, according to Jesus, we cannot understand the Heavenly.

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. (John 3:12-13)

No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. (John 1:18)

God is said to have a Son in the book of Proverbs, and look what happened on Mount Sinai.

I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One....What is his name, and what is his son’s name?  Surely you know! (Proverbs 30:3-4)

And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. (Exodus 34:5)

God had a Son who is the firstborn of Creation. Now when we refer to God here, the only way that this makes sense is if we are talking about the ONE WHO EXISTS and besides Whom there is no other. For within the infinite God the Universe exists. The Son is the finite image of the Invisible Infinite God.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation (Colossians 1:15)

When we go outside of what the Bible actually states and do no allow the Bible to reveal the truths therein, we are unable to grasp the simple truths that exist before our very eyes. Jesus said that if we cannot understand the simple truths of the world around us (the fools, who do not believe in fairies, develop theories) and how they refer to the spiritual domain, we are merely creating straw men when it comes to reality. This temporal world is not reality. However, much here alludes to the realities of life.

According to the Bible, the Son of God is the First Born of Creation. He is the Image of the Invisible God. The Son of God appeared before Moses on Mount Sinai. His name is the name of the Holy One. His name is Lord Jesus Christ.

Learn more (The Son Of God Existed Before He Was Born As A Man To Save The World)

THE BIBLE IS A COMPLEX BOOK WITH HIDDEN MEANING. Understanding Hidden Bible Truths Are Difficult If You Are Not Enlightened By The Spirit Of God. Many people have different approaches to interpreting the Bible, but do they interpret Scripture correctly?

Why do people disregard Exodus 34 and 35 as not being the real ten commandments?

Please do not forget the last three words of Exodus 34:28. (AKJV)
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Happy Riches Answers

Firstly, that the Ten Commandments were not written down by Moses on the tablets (Exodus 34:1). Nevertheless, this does not mean that Moses did not write them down also, as the verse you quote (Ex. 34:28) suggests that he did.

These two chapters include some of what is written in the real Ten Commandments. In terms of disregarding these two chapters as the Ten Commandments as outlined in Exodus 20, one would have to say that they are not the same. Exodus 20 is also slightly different to Deuteronomy 5, but for a different reason.

If you want to understand the Bible, you have to approach what you read prayerfully and humbly. This means in order to understand the Bible, you have to have a relationship with God and hear His voice. God's voice goes out into all the world, but only those who are tuned into the gospel frequency can hear it.

In respect to these two chapters, what is written here has more substance than people might think and like the Ten Commandments themselves this is easily dismissed. (If you want to see what the Ten Commandments cover read the This book and you will learn that the Ten Commandments covers many disciplines.)

An indication that there is more in these two chapters than meets the eye is obvious when we learn Bezalel from the tribe of Judah; was filled with the Spirit of God, and given the knowledge, intelligence, ability of craftsmanship and inspiration to teach Oholiab from the tribe of Dan. These two men were responsible for the craftsmanship required in making the tabernacle. This tells us that God guided the making of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is where God dwells with man. There is much to learn from understanding the Tabernacle.

These two chapters are filled with typology that are relevant for Christians today. They are not the Ten Commandments. Although, these two chapters are telling us that the Ten Commandments are relevant to God dwelling with man.

Besides mentioning the Ten Commandments, we have references to the feasts, and these are important. We find the Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Tabernacles mentioned. A direct reference is missing to the feast of Trumpets and the day of Atonement. These two days are implied by the Passover and the call for the people to assemble.

Israel broke the first covenant by making a god in the form of a calf. God renewed the covenant and this is important because what we see here is a reference to the Gospel message: the renewed covenant or, if you like, the new covenant of Immanuel (God with us).

The renewed covenant goes along these lines:

1. I will give you your inheritance (5th commandment)
2. You shall not have any other Gods for I am a jealous God (1st & 2nd commandments)
3. You shall not make for yourselves any images (2nd commandment)
4. You shall be holy and keep the feast of unleavened bread (3rd commandment)
5. The first born are mine and they shall be redeemed (doorway to life)
6. You shall enter my Sabbath (4th commandment)
7. You shall appear before me at first fruits (justification)
8. You shall appear before me at weeks (sanctification)
9. You shall appear before me at the ingathering (glorification)
10. Moses assembled the congregation (feast of trumpets)
11. This is all made possible by the Passover (overcomers by the blood)
12. You shall not slaughter a mother with the lamb (woman/manchild)
13. Moses skin shone with the glory of the Lord (rewards in glory)
14. No one shall work on the Sabbath (perpetual rest)
15. No one will light a fire (Lord himself will be the fire and light)
16. Each one works according to their generosity of spirit (much: more given)
17. The Lord God will dwell with man (Immanuel)
18. Your offering to me shall be freewill (come to me)
19. Those whom I shall choose shall I anoint ( few are chosen)
20. There shall be two who teach (testimony of  the two tablets, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but not one dot nor one iota of this Law shall pass away until all is accomplished.)

The above is a cursory overview of the two chapters highlighting some key points as they are presented in order. Nevertheless, we can see the plan that God has for His people in respect to the New Covenant that Jesus spoke about.

More can be found at The Ten Commandments Were Designed For You To Enjoy And Possess Life

PEOPLE OFTEN WANT TO KNOW THE CORRECT WAY TO INTERPRET THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Search The Many Sites That Promote The Ten Commandments And You Will Discover The First Commandment Is Not Understood. You might wonder why this is the case.

What is the most correct interpretation of the Ten Commandments?

Please give specific details, including the original commandment and how it is best interpreted.

Happy Riches says, I have a genuine relationship with Lord Jesus Christ. 

Answers 

The Ten Commandments are the template for interpreting the Scriptures. However, you ask what is the most correct interpretation for the Ten Commandments. If you really want to understand them, you need to read the Scriptures. For the commandments are very wide in their application. The Psalmist says:

I have seen a limit to all perfection, but thy commandment is exceedingly broad. (Psalm 119:96)

However if you read The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God, you will discover a framework from which to understand the Bible as God actually means it to be understood. Theologians tend to interpret the Scripture from their own worldview, even though they will claim they are being objective and using literal and historical means by studying culture and language.

When it comes to the Ten Commandments, the mistake most people make is to truncate them and thereby dismiss them as being too simple.  This is evidenced the following, which is what one person wrote on a forum regarding what you will find at the link at the bottom of this page:

I just came across a website which is about the ten commandments. I did not know you could write so much about the ten commandments. Can the Ten Commandments really be a guide to life and its riches. I thought they were ten rules about what people were not supposed to do if they were Jews.

The writer seems to know what he is talking about, but interested in other comments.

RE: Ten Commandments

This site definitely goes very in depth about every commandment.

Most people have such a poor understanding of the truths of the Bible. Those who are professional theologians usually miss the mark because they have to do something novel to make their mark in academia. Others who read the Bible, and can quote many verses, often do so without realizing that they need to be taught by the Holy Spirit and meditate the milk of the word. The Ten Commandments are the milk of the world and they ought to be understood thoroughly, if a person desires to advance into the spiritual realm. The road that is narrow is very deep but it suddenly becomes a ladder into Heaven once a person has found the Rock (Deuteronomy 32;40).

The first five commandments refer to God and the second five to individuals. However, in saying this, the tenth commandment is a reference to oneself, more so than actively violating the rights of others.

If one is going to understand the Ten Commandments and be able to interpret the Bible correctly, one needs to meditate Exodus 20:1-17, as the first commandment begins with "God spoke..."  The first commandment does not begin with "You shall not".

An understanding of typology is required because if the first commandment is to apply to people other than those outside of Egypt, one has to understand what Egypt refers to within the Bible. Moreover, to fully appreciate the significance of the Ten Commandments, one has to meditate them.

The reason people do not experience the continual joy of salvation is they do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God (Mark 12:24). Psalm One says, blessed is the person who meditates the LAW. Yet most people prefer to complain about their  disappointments and misgivings and anguish in life.

The Ten Commandments Were Designed For You To Enjoy And Possess Life