Reality #6 Part 3 Joining God Requires Obedience
John 14:23
"Jesus answered 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 home with him.'"
Luke 14:33
"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
You cannot stay where you are and go with God! You cannot continue doing things your way and accomplish God's purposes in His ways. Once you have adjusted your life to God, His purposes, and His ways you are prepared to obey Him. Earlier we talked about the relationship between love and obedience. We found that obedience is the outward expression of love of God. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (John 14:15,24).
1. Obedience is the outward expression of your love of God.
2. The reward for obedience and love is that He will reveal Himself to you.
3. If you have an obedience problem, you have a love problem.
4. If you love Him, you will obey Him!
Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50). Jesus clearly said that by obedience a person indicates his love relationship with God (John 14:15-21).
James, in his letter to the believers, went to great lengths to indicate that faith that does not obey in actions is dead, or has no life. When the disciples obeyed Jesus, they saw and experienced God's mighty power working in and around them. When they did not act in faith and do His will, they did not experience His mighty work.
The Million Dollar Question: What is Obedience?
Servants of God do what He directs. They obey Him. The servant does not have the option of deciding whether or not he wants to obey. Choosing not to obey is rebellion, and such disobedience will bring serious consequences. Many people are so self-centered they want to do their own "thing." They do not stop to consider what obedience may mean in their lives. Jesus told a parable about obedience: The Parable of the Two Sons: "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go." Matthew 21:28-30
Which son did the will of his father? Was it the one who said no but later repented, or the one who said yes but never went? The first son is the one who obeyed the father. Obedience means doing what is commanded.
Obey what you already know to be God's will
Some people want God to give them an assignment. They vow to do whatever He asks. But when God observes their lives, He notices they have not obeyed in the things He already has told them to do. God gave the Ten Commandments. Are you obeying? Jesus has told you to love your enemies. Are you able to do that? Jesus ordered the church to make disciples of all nations. Are you doing all you know to obey Him? God tells you through Scripture to live in unity with your Christian brothers and sisters. Do love and harmony characterize your fellowship? God's commands are not given so you can pick and choose the ones you want to obey and forget the rest. He expects you to obey ALL His commands out of your love relationship with Him. When He sees you are faithful and obedient in a little, He will be able to trust you with more.
God has always been at work in our world. He is now at work where you are. When God is ready for you to be involved with Him in an assignment, He always will take the initiative to come to you and reveal what He is doing, or what He is about to do. When He does, this will be His invitation for you to join Him. Joining Him will require major adjustments of you life to Him so He can accomplish His will through you. When you know what God has said, know what He is about to do, and have adjusted your life to Him, there is yet one remaining necessary response to God. TO EXPERIENCE HIM AT WORK IN AND THROUGH YOU, YOU MUST OBEY HIM. WHEN YOU OBEY HIM, HE WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK THROUGH YOU; AND YOU WILL COME TO KNOW HIM BY EXPERIENCE.
You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. After God has taken the initiative to involve you in His work, you believe Him and adjust your life to Him. This entire process may happen very quickly or it may be extended over a lengthy period of time. The adjustments, however, must be made. Only then do you get to the place of obedience. You must obey Him first. Then He will accomplish His work through you. When God does a God-sized work through your life, you come to know Him intimately by experience.
Moment of Truth
In many ways, obedience is your moment of truth. What you do will:
1. Reveal what you believe about Him.
2. Determine whether you will experience His mighty work in you and through you.
3. Determine whether you will come to know Him more intimately.
When you come to a moment of truth, you must choose whether to obey God. You cannot obey Him unless you believe and trust Him. You cannot believe and trust Him unless you love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him. Each "new" command or assignment will require a new knowledge and understanding of Him. The Holy Spirit will teach you about Jesus so you can trust Him and obey Him. Then you will experience Him in new ways. This is how you grow in Him.
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 John 2:3-6
Jesus stated it a different way when He said:
I Never Knew You: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" Matthew 7:21-23
Next time: The importance and cost of obedience
In Christ,
David
"Jesus answered 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 home with him.'"
Luke 14:33
"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
You cannot stay where you are and go with God! You cannot continue doing things your way and accomplish God's purposes in His ways. Once you have adjusted your life to God, His purposes, and His ways you are prepared to obey Him. Earlier we talked about the relationship between love and obedience. We found that obedience is the outward expression of love of God. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (John 14:15,24).
1. Obedience is the outward expression of your love of God.
2. The reward for obedience and love is that He will reveal Himself to you.
3. If you have an obedience problem, you have a love problem.
4. If you love Him, you will obey Him!
Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50). Jesus clearly said that by obedience a person indicates his love relationship with God (John 14:15-21).
James, in his letter to the believers, went to great lengths to indicate that faith that does not obey in actions is dead, or has no life. When the disciples obeyed Jesus, they saw and experienced God's mighty power working in and around them. When they did not act in faith and do His will, they did not experience His mighty work.
The Million Dollar Question: What is Obedience?
Servants of God do what He directs. They obey Him. The servant does not have the option of deciding whether or not he wants to obey. Choosing not to obey is rebellion, and such disobedience will bring serious consequences. Many people are so self-centered they want to do their own "thing." They do not stop to consider what obedience may mean in their lives. Jesus told a parable about obedience: The Parable of the Two Sons: "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go." Matthew 21:28-30
Which son did the will of his father? Was it the one who said no but later repented, or the one who said yes but never went? The first son is the one who obeyed the father. Obedience means doing what is commanded.
Obey what you already know to be God's will
Some people want God to give them an assignment. They vow to do whatever He asks. But when God observes their lives, He notices they have not obeyed in the things He already has told them to do. God gave the Ten Commandments. Are you obeying? Jesus has told you to love your enemies. Are you able to do that? Jesus ordered the church to make disciples of all nations. Are you doing all you know to obey Him? God tells you through Scripture to live in unity with your Christian brothers and sisters. Do love and harmony characterize your fellowship? God's commands are not given so you can pick and choose the ones you want to obey and forget the rest. He expects you to obey ALL His commands out of your love relationship with Him. When He sees you are faithful and obedient in a little, He will be able to trust you with more.
God has always been at work in our world. He is now at work where you are. When God is ready for you to be involved with Him in an assignment, He always will take the initiative to come to you and reveal what He is doing, or what He is about to do. When He does, this will be His invitation for you to join Him. Joining Him will require major adjustments of you life to Him so He can accomplish His will through you. When you know what God has said, know what He is about to do, and have adjusted your life to Him, there is yet one remaining necessary response to God. TO EXPERIENCE HIM AT WORK IN AND THROUGH YOU, YOU MUST OBEY HIM. WHEN YOU OBEY HIM, HE WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK THROUGH YOU; AND YOU WILL COME TO KNOW HIM BY EXPERIENCE.
You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. After God has taken the initiative to involve you in His work, you believe Him and adjust your life to Him. This entire process may happen very quickly or it may be extended over a lengthy period of time. The adjustments, however, must be made. Only then do you get to the place of obedience. You must obey Him first. Then He will accomplish His work through you. When God does a God-sized work through your life, you come to know Him intimately by experience.
Moment of Truth
In many ways, obedience is your moment of truth. What you do will:
1. Reveal what you believe about Him.
2. Determine whether you will experience His mighty work in you and through you.
3. Determine whether you will come to know Him more intimately.
When you come to a moment of truth, you must choose whether to obey God. You cannot obey Him unless you believe and trust Him. You cannot believe and trust Him unless you love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him. Each "new" command or assignment will require a new knowledge and understanding of Him. The Holy Spirit will teach you about Jesus so you can trust Him and obey Him. Then you will experience Him in new ways. This is how you grow in Him.
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 John 2:3-6
Jesus stated it a different way when He said:
I Never Knew You: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" Matthew 7:21-23
Next time: The importance and cost of obedience
In Christ,
David
posted by Mark 1:17 at 12:47 PM
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