Commandments

John 15:11-17 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant know not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that you love one another. 

‘That your joy might be full’ Getting complete answers to prayer is associated with this idea in John 16:24. Would not joy be full if one lived in perfect obedience to God as did Christ? Contrast “my joy” (John 15:11; 17:13) with “your joy” (John 15:11; 16:22, 24). The conditions of joy and peace (John 14:27) are both based upon perfect obedience (John 15:9-14).

‘This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.’ Christ’s commandment to us is the same as His Father’s commandment to Him. We must love one another to the extent that He loves us. He laid down His life for us; we must lay down our lives for each other.

‘If you do whatsoever I command you’ If we obey we are His friends; but if we do not obey we are not His friends.

‘Henceforth I call you not servants’ He did not make us bondslaves. He made us full partners and His personal representatives on earth. We are to represent Him and reproduce His works as He represented God and did His works (John 14:12; 17:18; 20:21-23). We will share equally with Christ in His inheritance if we share in sufferings and work (Rom. 8:17). We are to share with Him all things the Father has made known to Him.

‘Chosen you, and ordained you’ we were chosen and ordained to go and bring forth fruit, produce eternal works and get an answer to every prayer.

True ministers of the Word must be united [of one mind] to the vine, chosen by God to do the work and ordained for the work: Laborers to bring forth fruit, not idlers (John 6:27). Goers to the work, not waiters for the work (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 4:35-38; 16:15-20; Acts1:4-8). Preservers of their fruit, not destroyers of it (John 6:27). Prayers that get results. Lovers of all men (1Jn. 3:4-18; 1Cor. 13:1-13).