God Wants Us To Obey Series

The ChristianLife Week 2

Bob Marcaurelle

A. Goals (Continued)

b. Obedience

GOD WANTS US TO OBEY

“If anyone loves me he will obey my teachings.”

(Jesus in John 14:23)

“If someone says he knows Him (God) and does not obey his commands; that person is a liar.”

(1 John 2:4)

Love Obeys God

Second only to love, is God’s priority for you and I to obey Him. The proof of love is obedience. . Jesus says, if we love Him we will obey Him. (Jn. 14:23)

If I yell up to you in the middle of the night, that your house is on fire; I do not want you to sing praises to me, tell me how much you love and trust me, and go back to sleep. I know you trust me when I see you run out the front door with a kid under each arm. I know you trust me when you obey me. Unlike the fellow in the well, you won’t be asking anyone else if my advice is right.

Romans 13:8f says,

“Love one another. Whoever does this obeys the Law (God’s commands). The commands, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, are all summed up in the one command, Love your neighbor as you love yourself,”

If we loved each other, there would be no need for policemen, locked doors, courts and jails. Laws are loving people’s protection from unloving people.

6. Love is Tough at Times Day 2

Sometimes we have to hurt someone to help them. Doing it doesn’t bring us or the person we help immediate pleasure. An example is parenting. “Loving” parents often say, “I love my children so much, I can’t spank them.” The Bible says the opposite, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son (or child). But whoever loves him will be careful to discipline him.” (Prov. 13:24)

To prepare our children for life we must teach them choices have consequences everywhere. If we really care about them and want what is best we will prepare them for life by controlling and disciplining them. Bill Gates, speaking at a graduation ceremony gave some life rules said, “Do what you are supposed to. If you think your mother was tough, wait until you get a boss.”

The Anger of Jesus- When Jesus drove the dishonest money changers out of the Temple (Jn. 2) or called Pharisees hypocrites (Mt. 23:13), these were acts of love. He wanted to wake them up to who they were so they would repent and be forgiven and changed.

A. The Areas of Obedience

The Lord said to Joshua, “Be sure that you obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave you (Scripture). Do not neglect any part of it / Study it day and night and make sure you obey everything written in it.”

(Joshua 1:7-8)

1. God’s Scriptural Will

Jesus, quoting the Scripture, said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4; Dt. 8:3)

We are to obey the will of God as it has been revealed to us in Scripture and in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, keeping in mind that the Spirit will never tell us to do anything contrary to Scripture. This includes the following:

2. God’s Saving Will Day 3

“He (God) is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 2:9)

God wants us first to repent and trust Christ to change us, to forgive us and to allow us into heaven.

3. God’s Sanctifying Will

“This is the will of God, your sanctification (holiness).” (1 Th. 4)

James 1:27

“Pure and genuine religion to God the Father is this-to take care of widows and orphans in their affliction (love) and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.”

In short, we are to be like Jesus Christ. We will never be perfect in this world, but our aim is perfection.

This includes religious practices

Religion is not primary in God’s will, but it is an important part of God’s will, because it prepares and strengthens us to love and to obey. Love and obedience produce Bible study because God tells us, “How can a young man keep his way pure? He does it by keeping watch on himself with the Word.” (Ps. 119:9). Here we find out what the right thing, the loving thing, the God like thing, really is.

Love and obedience will produce worship because Jesus said of living in the will of God, “You will worship the Lord your God, and he alone will you serve.” (Lk. 4:8) To live in this wicked world, we need the strength, encouragement and wisdom that comes from fellowship with other Christians and from a man of God called to teach and apply the Scriptures to daily life.