“Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.’”
John 14:23 (NLT)
Jesus says again, All who love me will do what I say. This isn’t about pressure or performance—it’s about relationship. Love responds. Obedience flows from affection, not obligation. And now, obedience is no longer limited to the words Jesus spoke aloud during His earthly ministry. It is shaped by the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us.
Then Jesus says something that can sound conditional if we’re not careful: My Father will love them. But Scripture is clear—God loved us first. If He didn’t, Jesus would never have been sent. God’s love is not earned through obedience; it is revealed through relationship. What Jesus is showing us here is not how to gain God’s love, but how deeply God chooses to express it.
We will come and make our home with each of them. This is staggering. Salvation forgives us, yes—but God doesn’t stop there. He moves in. Through the Holy Spirit, the presence of God and the Son takes up residence within the believer. Not just with pastors. Not just apostles. With each disciple.
Paul later says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says the Father and the Son make their home within us. The God who created everything does not remain distant. He chooses closeness. He chooses intimacy. He chooses you.
Jesus paints the picture elsewhere: He stands at the door and knocks. If we open it, He comes in and shares a meal with us. That’s not formality. That’s friendship. The most holy God wants to sit at your table, not as a visitor, but as one who belongs there.
This is what it means for God to make His dwelling place with you.
Not just forgiveness.
Not just belief.
Presence.