John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
1Cor. 8:3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
The word “known” in 8:3 is not the word for awareness, or information; instead it carries the idea of knowing someone by experience, and personal encounter. We know that God loves us, as believers, unwaveringly, and unconditionally. If you are In Christ God loves you furiously, and it has nothing to do with performance at all, yet 14:23 seems to indicate the opposite. Truth can’t contradict itself, therefore we need the Holy Spirit to help us get what Jesus is saying. I believe the answer to Jn.14:23 is 1Cor. 8:3. If we love Him, and holy acts of obedience are acts of heart affection, then we will live in the encounter, and experience realm of His presence and passionate affection. God created us to experience Him in His glory and affection. We weren’t created to study Him and learn about Him, even though those are good things to do; but they are only of value if they lead us into deeper encounter and experience. You might encounter and experience Him in a Charismatic moment, but if you long to live in the reality realm of His splendor and passion, then the path is an ancient one. The great reward of loving Him is Him.