When Jesus challenges us, "If you love me, obey my commands." I believe he is looking for a paradigm change to occur within each of us. What may initially be considered 'an act of obedience' will one day become instinctive to us. When that happens, we will truly be conformed to His likeness.

I recalled the moment when Jesus challenged Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" Jesus confronts us with a conditional statement, "If you love Me, obey My commands." Could He be challenging us in the same way He challenged Peter? "Do you love Me? Will you follow My commands?" I have come to realize that following Jesus and obeying Him are inseparable realities. Including the brackets [ ] in the book's title seemed to emphasize this truth more clearly.