When I first got saved, I used to have a problem trying to relate to the Father and Jesus in an attitude of love. It was diffcult because I had never seen Jesus or the Father. Plus, the only way I knew to love was to tell someone you loved them or show it by hugging, kissing, holding their hand, cuddling them, or giving them something. I tried telling God that I loved Him, but I never really felt satisfied that I was expressing that love. I could say, “I love you,” and that was nice for starters, but that did not suffice by itself. To me, there had to be some demonstration that went along with what I said.
One day, I was reading the Word, and I found out how to love God. I found out how to love Him in a way that I know I am loving Him, that He is receiving my love, and that He is satisfied with my demonstration of love to Him. Jesus says in the first part of John 14:21:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me . . . .
I want to draw your attention on the fact that when Jesus says commandments, He is not just talking about the Ten Commandments. If you think only of the Ten Commandments, you will shortchange yourself. Anything God says to do is a commandment. God does not fool around with suggestions. He does not mess with reading between the lines. He tells you directly what He wants.
When He tells you, it’s a command, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and the reason we should do it, according to Jesus, is out of love. If we love God, we should make it a point to do what He commands in John 14:21-23.
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.
That leaves a whole lot of people out. If you are doing God’s Word, you are a tither. You are not a fornicator, an adulterer or adulteress, or a gossiper. You are not lying or stealing. You are doing everything God tells you to do in His Word. That also means that you are seeking the kingdom of God first, and His righteousness. You have time for Bible studies. You have time for prayer.
Also notice that Jesus does not use the word perfect here. We should be glad about that. If the word perfect were in this verse, it would leave us all out. Praise God that word is not there.
Jesus goes on to say in John 14:23-24:
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
Notice the progression in verses 21-24: commandments, words, sayings. This is how God interprets your love to Him—not by sending Him a card at Valentine’s Day, not by sending Him a box of candy. Jesus says,
If a man loves Me, He will keep My word.
If you love God, you will do His Word. Jesus also says,
He who does not love Me does not keep My words.
A person who does not love God is someone who is not doing His Word, and you have to be the judge as to whether or not you are doing God’s Word.
Loving Us Like He Loves Jesus
God loves us like He loves Jesus. What a staggering thought when I learned about it many years ago, that the almighty Father God loves me the same way, with the same quality and degree of love, that He loved Jesus. I began to think, “What wouldn’t the Father do for Jesus? Nothing. He would do anything for His Son. Well, if He loves me the same way He loves Jesus, He will do the same things for me that He did for Jesus.”
That truth will give you an amazing degree of confidence. So often in churches we were left with the idea that you never knew what God was going to do, that “the Lord works in His mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.” But all you have to do is read the Word to find out what God did for Jesus, and have the faith to believe and receive it for yourself. Whatever He did for Jesus, He will also do for you
A scripture that proves all this is John 17:23:
I in them, and You in Me; that they may be perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
When the Father loves you, what can you be afraid of? Who would you be afraid of when you know you have the Father on your side and that He loves you with the same intensity and degree of love that He loves Jesus? What good thing did He withhold from Jesus? None. So if God loves you the same way He loves Jesus, what good thing will He withhold from you? None.
That also means you have to ask yourself,
How did Jesus walk before the Father?
Jesus says in the latter part of John 8:29,
. . . I always do those things that please Him.
How do we know what pleases the Father? By knowing God’s Word.
Copyright © Crenshaw Christian Center/ Ever Increasing Faith Ministries. All rights reserved.
Apostle Frederick K.C. Price is the founder of Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC) in Los Angeles, California. He began CCC in 1973 and shepherded it into a ministry of world renown, with services held in the 10,000-seat FaithDome.
In 1978, Apostle Price received instruction from God to begin a television broadcast and, as a result, Ever Increasing Faith Ministries (EIFM) began broadcasting in five major television markets. Thus, the television broadcast soon after became global.
EIFM can be viewed on many television stations in all 50 states and in many foreign countries. Apostle Price is also heard on numerous radio programs and 19 Internet broadcast stations. Additionally, he can be seen on most social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and others. In 1990, Apostle Price founded the Fellowship of Inner-City Word of Faith Ministries (FICWFM), which later became the Fellowship of International Christian Word of Faith Ministries before disbanding in 2017. And in 2001, he established an East Coast church, Crenshaw Christian Center East.
A visionary and prolific author, Apostle Price is the author of some 50 books on faith, healing, prosperity, and the Holy Spirit. How Faith Works is a classic on the operation of faith and its life-changing principles.
Although he had already operated in the fivefold ministry gift of apostle, in 2008 Apostle Price was publicly affirmed as an apostle of faith. Under the mantle of the teaching gift, Apostle Price established several schools for ministry and formal education at CCC. Among them are Frederick K.C. Price III Christian Schools (preschool to 12th grade); the Ministry Training Institute in 1985; a CCC Correspondence School; the Frederick K.C. Price School of the Bible; and in 2008, the Apostle Price Ministry Training Center. Over the years, Apostle Price has received many prestigious awards, most notably the Horatio Alger Award and the Kelly Miller Smith Interfaith Award.
A year after his affirmation and after more than 35 years of service, Apostle Price stepped aside as pastor to formally install his son, Frederick K. Price Jr., as his successor. For years he served as the presiding prelate of both CCC West and CCC East and as the chairman of CCC’s board of directors. Having retired from his position as pastor and all other official duties, he restricts much of his travel.
A devout husband, Apostle Price has been married to Dr. Betty Price for 67 years. They are the proud parents of four children, ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.