"If Ye Love Me" (Thomas Tallis 1505-1585)

I love this piece (and of course the Scripture it comes from) and I've had the joy of singing it on several occasions with small choral groups. I also love the King's Singers, they have amazing voices and perform some amazing arrangements (look up their version of the William Tell Overture!) This version is particularly poignant for the way it's been recorded in their separate homes during lockdown, but it sounds as beautiful and blended as if they were performing together. The beautiful, a cappella, four-part harmony is so simple but so effective - a hallmark of Tallis' works. Do not underestimate the talent of these singers in producing such a wonderful performance.

The best Christian music, in my humble opinion, has lyrics based in Scripture and good theology. That's why, despite attending a church that favours modern worship songs, I really enjoy singing and listening to hymns and older church music. This piece, like Handel's 'Messiah' or Haydn's 'Creation' *, is a setting of God's Word directly to music. There are several passages in Isaiah (chapter 40 for example) that I know from memory because of Handel's music and this is another passage (John 14:15-16) where the musical setting makes the words more memorable. There are many, many settings of the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23 and more, which serve to make the passages more familiar to us.

The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy about his use of Scripture, which is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Scripture is there for our instruction and encouragement, so that we should always be prepared to do the will of God. It is "alive and active" and "sharper than any double-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). Doesn't that show the importance of having the word of God readily available to us, in physical form and in our minds and hearts?

Now, in this day when the Bible is more available than ever before, through physical Bibles, apps and online resources, there can become a danger of taking it for granted. I have just counted 14 Bibles in the house (not including my baby boy's Book of Bible Stories!) which makes the word of God readily available around the house, but I need to have the desire to read it and study it. My preference is always to have a physical Bible with me to read at home and church, but there's no denying the convenience of Bible apps and the commentaries and reading plans that often come with them. The most important thing is that we are saturating ourselves with God's word.

Therefore, we will know and understand what Jesus' commandments are, so that we can keep them. Both John's gospel and his first epistle contain the teaching that knowing and loving Jesus is directly and irrevocably connected with keeping His commandments. If we love someone, we want to please them. It might not always be possible or right to do keep every 'commandment' of a friend or relative, even a spouse (he says carefully!), but with Jesus every command is for our good and for the good of His church.

Simon Peter was challenged on his love for the Lord. He would have heard Jesus say "if you love me, keep my commands", but shortly afterwards he denied the Lord three times (John 18:17, 25-27). Isn't it interesting that Jesus then challenged Peter three times in John 21:15-19? "Do you love me?" When Peter affirmed his love, Jesus gave him a commandment: "Feed my lambs... take care of my sheep... feed my sheep." ** Peter was going to prove his love for the Lord by keeping His commandment to pastor and shepherd the Lord's flock. This, we believe, he did faithfully and tradition appears to confirm what Jesus implied, that Peter would ultimately be martyred and glorify God in his obedience and faithfulness.

Unlike the early church, we may not face the fear of dying for our faith in the Western world, although we are aware of awful persecution of the church in countries such as North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria and many more. If those early Christians could keep Christ's commands, when doing so frequently resulted in their death, shouldn't we, in relative safety and freedom, be making all the more effort to seek out the will of God and follow the commandments of our Lord and Saviour?

So obedience is evidence of love. King Saul didn't love God, he offered up many sacrifices but disobeyed the Divine commandments (1 Samuel 15). There might be a danger of us being like Saul and thinking that all the wonderful things we do are the evidence of our love for Jesus. Of course, works have their place and are the fruit of our faith (James 2:14) but without obedience to God they mean nothing. No amount of tithing, serving on a team at church, hosting Bible studies, posting quotes on Instagram... none of it counts for anything without the foundation of love and obedience for Jesus.

Paul Washer, a faithful preacher and servant of God, said: "You know, if God calls me to be a janitor in Brooklyn and I go to Nigeria and plant 300 churches I am out of the will of God." Just because something seems right, doesn't make it the will of God. God is never defeated by our disobedience or tendency to proceed without His guidance, but we are in danger of missing out on the nearest and deepest communion with Jesus if we follow our own desires and not His commandments.

So which commandments are we talking about? Given that the New Testament contains more than 1000 commandments, where do we even start? There are seventy-four "Be's", thirty "Be Not's", one hundred "Let's" and forty-two "Let us's". Even if I were limit this to commandments given directly by Jesus in the Gospels (and I shouldn't, because Acts, the Epistles and Revelation are the inspired word of God and therefore also contain the Lord's commandments) I would find nearly 250. Still a huge number to remember and follow. Is there not a danger of the new covenant becoming more legal than the Law? What happened to being under grace, not under law? If I have to keep referring to my list of New Testament commandments, I am going to get overwhelmed at how much there is to do.

John provides the reassurance, "His commandments are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world... Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:3-5). As believers on Jesus, we are given the victory over sin and the world and helped to keep His commandments. All 1000 of them!

John again provides further help: "whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did" (1 John 2:6). Our Christian journey is not about our ability to keep every single commandment. It had been proved once and for all that man, without Christ, could not keep the law. Adam and Eve both disobeyed the only commandment God gave them. The Israelites had grossly disobeyed the very first of the Ten Commandments by making the golden calf before Moses had even come down the mountain with the tablets of the law. But when Jesus came and lived a life of absolute perfection, then died in our place to bear our penalty, the way was opened for man to be right with God. That doesn't mean we never sin again "but if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1). However our entire life should be changed - "No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning... they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God." (1 John 3:6,9) Should that challenge us? Yes! Should that overwhelm us? No, because Jesus has lived the perfect life that we couldn't and offered Himself as the perfect atonement for sin, so that we could "follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21).

How does the Scripture continue? In this version "... and I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may bide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth" (John 14:16,17). The Holy Spirit teaches us everything and reminds us of what Jesus has said (v26). His presence and teaching helps us to live like Jesus and in obedience to Jesus. He guides us "into all the truth" (John 16:13), by which we are sanctified (John 17:17) - set apart for the glory of God.

What does this look like practically then? I believe the answer is to know Jesus. The more we read of His actions in the Gospels, the more we will understand of how Jesus lived and how we too should live. The more we read His words, the more we will understand of who He is and what His will is. The more we read of the Acts and the Epistles, the more we will understand of how His commandments direct the movement and growth of the Church. The more we read of the Old Testament, the more we see how He was always God's plan in salvation for us. The more time we spend in prayer, the nearer we are to Him and the more likely we are to discern His will for us. The more time we spend with other faithful believers, the more examples and models we find of the way we should live our lives in obedience to Him and the more brothers and sisters we have to direct our love towards, in obedience to what He commands (1 John 4:21).

Jesus has demonstrated His love: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend. You are my friends if you do what I command" (John 15:13,14). He calls us friends, desires us to live our lives as He did and wants us to love Him. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). There is an economy of love in the church where the objects of God's love respond in love to Him and to each other. Let us always be working to reach the highest peaks of God's plan for the church and be the most faithful and loving servants of Christ, with His help, until that moment when we are finally with Him in glory!

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*The text of Haydn's creation also includes parts of John Milton's 'Paradise Lost', but I think the difference is clear.

**This verse is the reason for the name of this blog. This pastoral instruction, given to another Simon, is one I want to follow in whatever measure I can. If this blog can help lead or feed just one member of the Lord's flock, I will be so thankful.

Below, this piece sung at the Royal Wedding in 2018.