More Than Rules: Discovering the Love Behind God’s Law

In the tapestry of Scripture, certain threads weave together across millennia, connecting the ancient wisdom of Moses with the transformative teachings of Jesus.

Two passages in particular—John 14:15 and Deuteronomy 30:11-14—create a powerful dialogue about the nature of love, obedience, and the accessibility of God's commands.

Today, I'd like to explore how these passages, separated by centuries yet united in purpose, speak to us about the intimate connection between loving God and following His ways.

"If You Love Me, Keep My Commands" - John 14:15

In the upper room, hours before His arrest, Jesus shared intimate teachings with His disciples. Among these was a statement both simple and profound: "If you love me, keep my commands." In these seven words, Jesus established a fundamental truth about spiritual devotion: love and obedience are inseparable.

This wasn't a new concept. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, loving God was consistently paired with keeping His commandments. What makes Jesus' statement powerful is its personal nature. He doesn't say, "If you love God, keep His commands," but rather makes Himself the object of both the love and the obedience.

It's worth noting what Jesus doesn't say here. He doesn't say, "Keep my commands so that I'll love you," or "Keep my commands to prove you love me." The obedience isn't a prerequisite for receiving love, but rather the natural expression of love already present. Love comes first; obedience follows.

Think of it this way: when we deeply love someone, we naturally want to honor their wishes and respect their values. Not out of obligation, but out of affection. Jesus is describing the same dynamic in our spiritual lives—obedience flowing from love, rather than love being earned through obedience.

"This Command I'm Giving You Today Isn't Too Much for You" - Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (MSG)

Now let's journey back over a thousand years before Jesus, to Moses addressing the Israelites on the plains of Moab. After delivering the law and before his death, Moses offers these encouraging words as recorded in Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (The Message):

"This command I'm giving you today isn't too much for you, it's not out of your reach. It's not on a high mountain—you don't have to get mountaineers to climb the peak and bring it down to your level and explain it before you can live it. It's not across the ocean—you don't have to send sailors out to get it and bring it back and then explain it before you can live it. No. The word is right here and now—as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. Just do it!"

What strikes me about this passage is its emphasis on accessibility. God's commands aren't hidden in remote places, requiring extraordinary effort to discover. They aren't philosophical abstractions that only the intellectual elite can comprehend. Instead, they are "as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest."

Moses is tackling a common human tendency: our inclination to complicate what God has made simple. We sometimes imagine that truly pleasing God must involve something grandiose or mystical—something beyond our everyday reach. But Moses insists otherwise. God's will isn't an enigma wrapped in a riddle; it's as close as our own heartbeat.

The Convergence: Where John and Deuteronomy Meet

When we place these passages side by side, a beautiful harmony emerges. Jesus says that loving Him means keeping His commands. Moses assures us that these commands aren't beyond our reach. Together, they present a vision of spiritual life that is both profound and practical.

Here's what this convergence teaches us:

1. Love is Expressed Through Action

Both passages challenge a purely emotional or intellectual understanding of faith. Love for God isn't just a warm feeling or a philosophical position—it manifests in concrete choices.

When we claim to love Jesus but consistently ignore His teachings about forgiveness, generosity, or compassion, we're contradicting ourselves. True love always moves from the heart to the hands.

2. God's Ways Are Accessible

The Deuteronomy passage dismantles the excuse that God's expectations are too lofty or complex. Moses assures us that what God asks of us isn't hidden on mountaintops or across oceans.

Jesus echoes this accessibility in His ministry, often distilling complex religious obligations into simple principles like loving God and loving neighbor.

3. Obedience Springs from Internalization

Moses describes the word as being "in your mouth" and "in your heart"—it's internalized, not just imposed externally.

Similarly, Jesus' connection between love and obedience suggests that true compliance with His commands comes from internal transformation, not mere rule-following. We don't obey to earn love; we obey because love has already changed us from within.

4. Immediacy is Emphasized

The Message translation of Deuteronomy emphasizes that God's word is "right here and now," concluding with the Nike-esque instruction: "Just do it!"

There's an urgency here that parallels Jesus' teachings. Faith isn't primarily about theological contemplation; it's about present action. Jesus doesn't say "Consider my commands" or "Debate my commands," but "Keep my commands."

Living in the Intersection

So how do we live in the intersection of these passages? How do we embody this love-driven obedience to commands that are never beyond our reach?

First, we recognize that obedience without love quickly becomes legalism. When we follow God's ways out of fear or obligation rather than affection, we miss the heart of what Jesus teaches. As Paul would later write, even the most impressive religious accomplishments amount to nothing without love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Second, we acknowledge that love without obedience is merely sentiment. When we claim to love Jesus but consistently choose paths contrary to His teaching, we're deceiving ourselves. As James would put it, faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

Third, we accept that God's commands are accessible—not in the sense that they're easy (loving enemies and forgiving offenses certainly isn't), but in the sense that they're comprehensible and attainable through the power of the Spirit. The essence of what God asks is clear, even when the application requires wisdom.

Finally, we embrace the beautiful cycle these passages create: as we obey out of love, our love deepens, which inspires greater obedience. Love and obedience feed each other in a virtuous spiral that draws us closer to the heart of God.

Beyond Obligation

Perhaps what's most striking about both passages is how they move us beyond mere obligation. Moses doesn't present the commands as burdensome requirements but as accessible gifts. Jesus doesn't demand obedience as a tyrant but invites it as an expression of love. Together, they transform our understanding of divine expectations from heavy yokes to pathways of love.

In our modern context, where faith is often reduced to either rigid rule-following or vague spiritual feelings, these passages offer a more integrated vision. They invite us into a life where love and law aren't opponents but partners, where devotion to God is expressed not just in emotional worship but in everyday choices.

The command is not too difficult. It's not out of reach. And when we follow it out of love for the One who first loved us, we discover that His yoke is indeed easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The very obedience that seemed constraining becomes the pathway to freedom.

Love leads to obedience. Obedience deepens love. And in this beautiful cycle, we find ourselves drawn ever closer to the heart of the God who placed His word not on distant mountains or across vast seas, but right here within our reach—as close as our own hearts.

Strength in Christ,