LOVE and OBEDIENCE
Some people think that it is better not to believe in God rather than believe in a God who expects you to obey rules and be perfect just like Him. I for one have numerous sins a day. Even the holiest of holies would be caught red handed once in his life. But from constantly being intimately aquainted with the Lord, He has taught me that it is actually more than obedience.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15 ESV
It is difficult for students to obey a strict and unfriendly teacher. There are people who always rebel against an unlawful and unqualified leader in the government. But if people add a little bit of love with obedience, it is much easier to obey. Let's say your mother asks you to clean your room which hasn't been cleaned for a week. You wouldn't do that for yourself if mother hadn't asked you to do it. But if mother says so, you will surely obey (sooner or later. Haha). Because she is your mother and you love her. I think it's the same with God. It wouldn't be very hard to obey God if you love Him, right? He even knows that a true follower will surely obey Him if he loves Him. In fact, your love may even drive you to do uncomfortable things for Him and for His glory.
BUT.
What if you tell yourself you love God yet it is still very difficult to obey Him?
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Luke 6:46 ESV
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
1 John 3:6 ESV
Perhaps you don't know Him that much. How can you love someone deeply without knowing him very much, right? So if you eagerly want to obey God and you say you love God but it is still difficult to obey Him, then I have one suggestion for you, my friend.
GET TO KNOW HIM MORE.
How do you get to know God more?
1. Read your Bible. He has revealed Himself, from the start of His creations until the "Happy Ending", for everyone who is willing to know Him. Read the Bible and have a glimpse of how deep, how high, how long and how wide His love is for you and me. The Bible also teaches us many principles about love and obedience.
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
Luke 6:47-48 ESV
2. Pray. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Let Him know how much you want to encounter Him. Tell Him how eager you want to surrender your all to Him. And He will surely dwell in You. The Holy Spirit will fill you up like never before. You will be comforted. You will be saved. You will be protected. You will be preserved.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.”
Psalms 145:18-20 ESV
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 14:15 ESV
It is difficult for students to obey a strict and unfriendly teacher. There are people who always rebel against an unlawful and unqualified leader in the government. But if people add a little bit of love with obedience, it is much easier to obey. Let's say your mother asks you to clean your room which hasn't been cleaned for a week. You wouldn't do that for yourself if mother hadn't asked you to do it. But if mother says so, you will surely obey (sooner or later. Haha). Because she is your mother and you love her. I think it's the same with God. It wouldn't be very hard to obey God if you love Him, right? He even knows that a true follower will surely obey Him if he loves Him. In fact, your love may even drive you to do uncomfortable things for Him and for His glory.
BUT.
What if you tell yourself you love God yet it is still very difficult to obey Him?
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Luke 6:46 ESV
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
1 John 3:6 ESV
Perhaps you don't know Him that much. How can you love someone deeply without knowing him very much, right? So if you eagerly want to obey God and you say you love God but it is still difficult to obey Him, then I have one suggestion for you, my friend.
GET TO KNOW HIM MORE.
How do you get to know God more?
1. Read your Bible. He has revealed Himself, from the start of His creations until the "Happy Ending", for everyone who is willing to know Him. Read the Bible and have a glimpse of how deep, how high, how long and how wide His love is for you and me. The Bible also teaches us many principles about love and obedience.
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
Luke 6:47-48 ESV
2. Pray. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Let Him know how much you want to encounter Him. Tell Him how eager you want to surrender your all to Him. And He will surely dwell in You. The Holy Spirit will fill you up like never before. You will be comforted. You will be saved. You will be protected. You will be preserved.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.”
Psalms 145:18-20 ESV
And when you have tried all these, you will finally realize that it is worth it. Because not only that He wants us to love and obey Him, but He also wants to show us the greater things He has prepared for us. He wants to reveal to us His good, pleasing and perfect will. He wants to secure us all the days of our lives. In fact, He even went ahead of us in heaven so He could prepare a room for us when we get there someday.
Do you know the reason why? IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR US.
He loved us before we love Him! He loves us even though we continuously disobey Him. He loves us at our darkest moments. He loves us despite our flaws. He loves us even when we become unfaithful.
HE LOVES US.
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
1 John 3:6 ESV
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
1 John 5:3 ESV
“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 ESV
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