Paul Merideth

Obeying God is difficult. Obedience is hard to learn, challenging to teach, and it’s a sometimes painful process to watch play out in the lives of others around us. It’s not something we’re good at, hard-wired for, or frankly… enjoy. We’d rather do things our own way than submit to any outside directive.

And so it is somewhat offputting to read how Jesus links obedience with love. He says pretty bluntly… “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

In contrast to obedience, we like to talk about love. It’s one of the Christian’s favorite topics. After all, it’s easy to love Jesus. He’s patient, kind, gentle, and lowly. He literally traded his life so we could experience eternal life and salvation. But obedience… now that is hard.

Sometimes, salespeople push the envelope of optimistic exaggeration to sell an unattractive product, trying to make it sound good when it’s bad. Maybe package it nicely to distract from the reality. Something like the teenager who comes home in an Uber and says to his parents in an upbeat tone, “I have great news about the car!” Dramatic pause. “The airbags worked perfectly.”

But let’s not sugar-coat it… following the commands of Jesus is difficult. But here’s the key: by linking love and obedience, Jesus invites us to express our love for him not merely through words but through our actions, through obedience to his commandments.

After all, keeping his commandments is an act of genuine love, a response to the immeasurable love that Jesus has showered upon us. It’s a commitment to living a life that aligns with the principles of righteousness, compassion, and selflessness that Jesus exemplified throughout his earthly journey. In the context of Jesus’ teachings, love is not passive; it’s an active force that propels us towards a life of righteousness. Love links us to our Savior with the hitch of obedience.

As followers of Christ, our love for him is demonstrated by our commitment to live according to his teachings. The commandments are not burdensome restrictions but a roadmap to a life of purpose, joy, and fulfillment. God has given us commands to follow and principles to live by because he knows what’s best for us more than we do ourselves. Biblical commands are for our good. His precepts guide our relationships, actions, and attitudes, shaping us into instruments of God’s love in the world.

Remember, loving Jesus is not just about having warm feelings towards him but about obeying his teachings and living under his will. We do this through the good times and the bad. If we’re honest, there are days, weeks, and years when we don’t want to obey. We don’t want to stay on the path of Christ. We want to entertain other desires and interests. But Jesus reminds us today that if we love him, really love him, then we will listen to him and obey.

  • 3rd Week of 2024 Reading: ROMANS 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
  • Reflections: What are areas of your life where you could better obey God? Have you considered this idea that in obedience, you are expressing to God your love?
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us, saving us through faith in Christ, and giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Grant us the strength to follow your commands through this life and into the next. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Bible Study #2
  • Current Reads: Sunday Matters by Paul David Tripp is a collection of 52 devotionals published by Crossway. What’s so interesting about this book is the devotionals are designed to be read ahead of each Sunday to prepare us for church. Aids to help us better tune our hearts for worship are indeed welcome.
  • Interesting News: The Christian Chronicle newspaper has an insightful op-ed piece, “Have you not read?,” about the clarity of Scripture and the modern challenges Christian universities face in trying to hold the line on historic Christianity.
  • Sermon Preview: I’m continuing my January sermon series about the if/then statements of Jesus. Next, we’ll consider John 15:18-25, “If The World Hates You.” You’re invited to come and worship with us.

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