Obedience

Obedience

And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth.

1 John 2:3-4

Knowing God involves much more than mental knowledge—it should result in obeying God.

We teach our children not to play in the street because we don’t want them to be hit by a car. So we say, many times, “Don’t play in the street” or “Look both ways twice before you cross the street.” We know that our children hear us, because sometimes they even teach the same lesson to their dolls or stuffed animals. But do they really know? It’s only when they obey us that we’re sure they know.

It’s that way with knowledge as a Christian. We can read the Bible, memorize the Bible, and even teach the Bible, but if we don’t do the Bible, our knowledge is only “puff.” First Corinthians 8:1 (NIV) says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Acting in love and obedience comes as a result of knowing not just the words but the God behind the words.

A. W. Tozer writes, “The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us. A rediscovery of the majesty of God will go a long way toward curing them.”^a What we believe and know about God is what determines the way we live. So if we want to live fruitful lives, we must begin by looking into the Bible to see who God is.

As we get to know and obey the God of the Bible, we will act like Jesus, who was an example of humility and self-sacrifice. Living and acting rightly—especially in front of our children—is the best evidence that we know God.

Father,

May we show evidence that we know you by the way we obey you. Amen.