A Reflection On Obedience

When I want to show my love for Jesus

We have become so paranoid of having a theology of “righteousness = works” that we have ignored obedience altogether, as though it did not matter to God. Jesus is clear that it does. Obedience is not our means to righteousness; it is the clearest expression of our devotion to Jesus. It is meaningful worship. When we are disobedient, we are saying that God’s Word does not matter to us. That isn’t love.

As Christians, we need to recover a desire for obedience as an expression of love for our Savior. If we truly love Him, as we say we do, what He says will matter to us profoundly. We will not follow the acceptable parts of His teachings and ignore the objectionable parts. We will not approach our relationship with Him as though we are trying to get by with the bare minimum behavioral change. We will devour His teachings, turning them over in our hearts, meditating on their applications, and living them as clearly as we can. This, according to Jesus, is what loving Him is all about. This is genuine worship.

If you love me, obey my commandments.

John 14:15