I had a wonderful conversation with my father-in-law this morning. It helped me to crystallize some of the things that God has been putting on my heart. One of the areas has to do with how we love God.
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23
Jesus is clearly connecting love with obedience.
When we obey the commands of God it is to our benefit. We can obey God because someone tells us we must or we believe that we must. To an extent this is a true statement. There is a benefit to the mere obedience to the commands of God. However, I see a principle at work here when we add love to the picture. If I obey God because I love Him it is altogether different than if I obey God because I feel obligated to. In both cases there is a short term benefit that obedience brings as God’s graces are extended to those that obey him. However, when obedience is out of the love I have for him there is a deep, sanctifying, and abiding change that occurs in me. The transforming power of loving obedience to God is above any legalistic formula of shame-based, or fear-based obedience. Love transforms the sinner. Mere obedience may produce a form of righteousness that lasts for a season, but loving obedience produces a change in the heart that results in lasting righteousness. Love of God is at the heart of sanctification. I need to be careful here though. It is not our love that sanctifies us. No that would be contrary to scripture. It is the love we have for God that allows us to enter into a relationship with Him in which He by his grace and mercy sanctifies our souls. Further this love follows from the love that He first showed us. As a Christian this love of God is perfectly pictured in Jesus Christ laying down his life for us.
One other point. Did Jesus die on the cross because he had to? Or Did Jesus die on the cross because he loved us? In other words was Jesus’ sacrifice an act of obligation or an act of love? I firmly believe that Christ’s obedience to death on the cross was an act of love to our Heavenly Father and toward us.
May God Richly Bless You
~BJ Olson
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