JOHN 14:21-25 – Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.
THEME OF THE DAY. WHY OBEY GOD? When we ask the question, “Why obey God?”, there are immediately two logical answers. First, God is our Creator and we, His created beings. He deserves our obedience as subordinate and dependent creations of His. A second reasonable answer to “Why obey God?” is because of His sovereign rule over all things. He is the absolute and unrivaled authority in the universe making obedience a proper response to His exalted place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But there are other reasons. Two of them found in today’s scripture.
First, obedience to God is the way He has ordained we prove our love to Him. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me” (John 14:21). Friends, it is good to say and sing, “I love You, Lord”, but it is essential those words are matched with a life obeying God’s Word. It isn’t our good feelings about God or our profession of love to Him which proves our sincerity. It is our actions of heart-felt and willful obedience to His Words. We were saved to obey, not out of dull duty, but out of glad privilege.
An additional reason why we obey God is that it opens the way for sweet fellowship and communion with Him. Ponder this staggering promise Jesus gives us right after He defines how we show our love to Him – “And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). He promises us the experience of His Father’s love and manifestations of His Person. This is to be the life of the Christian; obeying God to prove our love for Him, and walking in a real fellowship with Him. The word “manifest” means to “make known, reveal” and our Lord says, “Obey me and you will know me, experience me, and be satisfied with and by me.” When it comes to reasons for obeying God, we are reaching the chief one here – to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:1-4). Let this motivate us toward obedience knowing God stands ready to reveal Himself and His love to His obedient children.
Why obey God? The chief reasons are to prove our love to Him and to enjoy a daily walk with Him. May He help us see the delights that await the obedient child of God; the delights of knowing our glorious God.
PRAYER: “Father, help me see obedience as the means to prove my love for You and to experience Your love for me.”
QUOTE: “Obedience is not only our created purpose but because of salvation, our re-created privilege too”