Are you living life God's way or your way?
1 John 2:3-6 And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments. 4 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
5 But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
Most of us remember being separated from our parents in a large store when we were young. They told you not to wonder away from them but you disobeyed and now you are standing there all alone in a panic.
All of a sudden you realize that you cannot do life without them. This brief encounter makes it obvious to you that you are helpless without them and you swear that for now on you will stick to them like glue. How long does that last before you start to drift apart from them again?
We treat God the same way, he tells us how to live and that we should stick by his side but then we decide to wonder off and before too long we find ourselves in a panic. Living life our way seems like fun for a while but then something happens and we don't know what to do. We know that if we live the way that Jesus told us to live then we will have the peace and security that we desire to have in this crazy world.
The Bible makes it clear that we cannot do anything to earn a ticket to heaven but it also makes it clear that getting a ticket to heaven isn't the end of the story. We don't get to behave the way that we want just because of grace. We don't get a free ride just because we said a special prayer. In case you overlooked 1 John 2:6 let me show it to you again:
"Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."How can you think that you know him when it doesn't have an effect on the way you live? Do you really understand what Jesus did for you?
| Obedience Matters |
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| Psalms 119:4-8 You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully. 5 Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees! 6 Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with Your commands. 7 As I learn Your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! 8 I will obey Your decrees. Please don't give up on me! |
Human nature wants to live life to satisfy our own desires until life throws something difficult at us but for those who really know God, their love for him will bring about obedience, their lives will become increasingly like the life of Christ.
The best thing for us to do is to obey God but first we have to get to know God and know what he expects from us. The Bible makes it clear that if we really understand who we are and how bad our situation is while we are lost in our sin then obedience to God's rules won't be optional. If we really understand who God is and get to know him and realize how much he did for us then it must have an impact on the way we live.
Help me Lord to fully comprehend how much you did for me that I could never do for myself. Only then will I desire to obey you completely.
More scripture on love and obedience: John 14:15, 14:21-24, 14:31, 15:10, 21:17
