Receiving His Word, Not Just Hearing It
John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me…”
Thought:
Jesus does not say, “He that has heard my commandments,” but, “He that hath my commandments.” That difference matters. To hear Christ’s words can simply mean you have only been exposed to them. You can sit in a service, listen to preaching, read a passage, or memorize facts, and still keep His Word at a distance. Hearing can remain outward and never make its way inward.
To have His commandments means you have received them. You have taken them in as true, good, and holy. His Word is no longer just something you know about. It becomes something you welcome, embrace, and submit to. To have His Word is to bow our hearts and say, “Jesus has the right to command my life.” That is when truth moves from information to transformation.
Hearing reaches the ear, but having reaches the heart. People may hear Jesus and walk away unchanged. A disciple receives His Word and allows it to rule, especially when it challenges our sin, exposes our pride, or disrupts our comfort. When Christ’s Word is truly taken in, it is no longer treated as advice to consider, but as authority to obey!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I have often been content just to hear Your Word without truly receiving it. Today I submit my heart to Your authority. Let Your commandments not stay on the page, but live in my heart. Help me to “have” Your Word in a way that changes my desires, choices, and priorities. I declare that You have the right to command my life. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me…”
Thought:
Jesus does not say, “He that has heard my commandments,” but, “He that hath my commandments.” That difference matters. To hear Christ’s words can simply mean you have only been exposed to them. You can sit in a service, listen to preaching, read a passage, or memorize facts, and still keep His Word at a distance. Hearing can remain outward and never make its way inward.
To have His commandments means you have received them. You have taken them in as true, good, and holy. His Word is no longer just something you know about. It becomes something you welcome, embrace, and submit to. To have His Word is to bow our hearts and say, “Jesus has the right to command my life.” That is when truth moves from information to transformation.
Hearing reaches the ear, but having reaches the heart. People may hear Jesus and walk away unchanged. A disciple receives His Word and allows it to rule, especially when it challenges our sin, exposes our pride, or disrupts our comfort. When Christ’s Word is truly taken in, it is no longer treated as advice to consider, but as authority to obey!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I have often been content just to hear Your Word without truly receiving it. Today I submit my heart to Your authority. Let Your commandments not stay on the page, but live in my heart. Help me to “have” Your Word in a way that changes my desires, choices, and priorities. I declare that You have the right to command my life. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
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