God will make a home with you!

I was listening to a sermon yesterday from John Piper. He pointed out something I wan to share with you this morning that really spoke to me. Read these verses:

John 14:22-23

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “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.

How do we show our love for Jesus? by keeping His Word! Following the Word of God. I want to to grasp this point. It is NOT, I will keep the Word thus it will show my love for Christ! It IS, I love Jesus thus I will obey His Word. Think about that. There is a difference. You see we are not strong enough in ourselves to keep God's Word. But when we love Jesus and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit will give us the power and strength we need to keep the Word of God!

The second point I want you to grasp is we can have our home with God here on earth as well as in heaven! This verse proves it! I want my home to be with God...don't you? Well if you love Jesus, and are keeping His Word, then we are promised here that God will make His home with us....right now! Praise God.

The word home used in this verse is the same word used for home in this verse and it is ONLY used twice in the New Testament...these two places!

John 14:2
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

So lovers of Jesus are at home with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit here on earth and one day soon we will be at home in heaven which Jesus is preparing right now for us! I can't even imagine what it is going to be like!!!

Praise God for His mercy and grace this morning of which we don't deserve!

Tom