Love for Christ is a Loving Loyalty to His Commands

Nicole grew up in a strict religious household. From a young age, she was taught to obey God’s commandments. Her family read the Bible only as a form of correction for bad behavior. It was only brought out during times of punishment. For Nicole, obedience to the Bible always felt like a duty or a checklist of rules to follow to avoid punishment or earn approval. As an adult, Nicole carried this mindset into her daily life with Christ. She attended church regularly, gave of her time and resources, and avoided obvious sins, but her heart had no delightful emotional connection to what "she was doing for God." She greatly desired to have a heart that delightfully obeyed Jesus and His teaching out of love and trust not out of fear of punishment.

One day, Nicole started reading 1 John 2, where she was confronted with verse four, "Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." She knew that she followed that command with precision, but then she turned to the gospel of John. She read John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” She knew she fell short. She did not obey Jesus' commandments out of love, only out of duty. Nicole’s perspective began to change as she realized that obedience to God isn’t about earning His favor; instead, obedience is a response to His love. She realized that keeping Jesus’ commands, and even doing good works, is a direct result of the love we have for Him, not how we try to earn His favor. Obedience is not just an emotionless duty, she discovered, it is about delighting in the Love of Christ. Nicole realized she had been obeying God out of obligation, not out of love. She let go of the mindset that her good works and obedience were how she earned favor with God. She embraced the truth that she no longer had to work to make God love her. She realized she already had favor with Jesus and a never-ending love from Him. Nicole’s desire to obey Jesus' commands and serve others with her time and resources blossomed into the most enjoyable part of her life. Nicole loved Jesus with all her heart, mind, soul and strength and she desired to walk the same way He walked (1 John 2:6). Her love for Christ was the root from which the fruit of her obedience grew and matured.

Church family, true love for God is not expressed in doing things to get Him to love us; nor is it some claim of some mystical Christian experience. True love for Jesus Christ is expressed in a joyful, moral, loyal obedience to His commands knowing that He has loved us first and that He is our advocate and propitiation unto eternal life (1 John 2:1-2; 4:19).

See you Sunday, loving Christ and His commands: Steve