09/22/2024
Let’s consider the topic of "obeying God out of love" this morning. Love is a powerful emotion and leads us to our greatest heights. But unfortunately, when spurned, it has also causes some of our greatest pains, and failures as well. Fortunately, God never rejects our love or fails to recognize our obedience to His Word that flows from it. He rewards us, just as those of us who are in love do with one another; each longing to fulfill the other's desires, even if doing so comes at the expense of our own comfort or desire.
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
1 John 3:22 KJV
We may fear God, or long to experience eternal life, but we are called to serve and obey Him out of an unconditional love; not because of what He might do to us, or that we would forfeit eternity if we don’t obey. No, God seeks our reciprocal and unconditional love, and He is not satisfied or fulfilled by our serving Him out of a desire for what He can give us, or by serving Him out of dread or fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:18-19 KJV
I attended the Virginia Military Institute, a military college, and there were definitely things to fear there. I feared the penalty of receiving demerits, I feared the authority of the officers, and I feared the consequences of being dishonorable (even once), and yet I look back fondly on my time there... how is that possible? It is possible because of the love I had for my classmates, and for some of my professors. The fears and consequences were all part of the process of instruction, but the reward was knowledge, character, and most of all the love of my fellow classmates that became a lifelong treasure.
If asked, the cadets and former cadets will tell you that the most important thing they received by going to school there was the comradery and friendships they left with. It was the love they had for one another. This singular emotion overrode all else and was worth every torment, or suffering, they experienced in receiving it. Any other benefit was secondary and nice.
We obey God because we love Him; if we obey Him for any other reason we have missed the mark. God wants our love, and we demonstrate that love by freely offering Him obedience. Obeying God is not a hardship, but rather a way of loving Him more, and allowing Him to love us and better our lives. God asks nothing of us as a trial or test of our faith, His commandments are meant to perfect us. For our part we only need to love and obey Him in return.
This morning I pray that God keeps His hand upon us and guides us as we obey Him out of a deep and abiding love. I pray that as we face hardships, we will realize that He is there to hear our pleas and lift us over the obstacles. I pray that He feels our love for Him, even as we feel His for us. I pray that all Christians open their prayers as I do with..."Thank you Father”… and… “O, how I love Thee..."
The rest of my prayer is a love song, sung in secret.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for every good thing we receive from you, but thank you most for your love, and for allowing us to love you as we do. Hear our prayers today and every day, and see the love for you that fills our hearts. Reveal to us your will for us, and help us to obey and do the things contained therein. Know Lord that we do these things out of an all-consuming love for you. Give us angels to strengthen us as we face the difficulties that all agape lovers do, and help us to place your will above ours just as Jesus did. One of the commandments you gave Moses was that we love you with all our Hearts, but Jesus later taught us that the real fulfillment of this commandment comes not simply by our obedience to it, but in our undeniable desire to love you unconditionally. Father you loved us, and sent your Son Jesus to suffer, die, be resurrected, and to ascend into heaven to sit at your right hand, not because we were perfect, but that we might be perfected in Him. Your love for us was complete in Him, and your grace that flows from Him is unending, and without fail. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who has covered us in the blood of Jesus Christ, and whose mercy and grace knows no bounds. Holy are you who has loved us and the world enough to extend to us the passion and sacrifice of Christ, and your forgiveness for every sinner to accept as their own through Him. Feel the love we have in our hearts for you Abba, and see not who we once were, but who we are now in Christ. You have chosen not to remember our sins Father, and we ask that you help us not to remember them nor to dwell on them as well. Let our remembrances be of your love and the redemption we have receive through Jesus alone. In this way let us be pleasing in your sight, worthy, and prepared to spend eternity loving, and being loved by you.
Hallelujah, and Amen!
“And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:41-44 ESV
““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ESV
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.””
Matthew 22:37 KJV
Rich Forbes