{"id":11436,"date":"2013-04-27T00:01:27","date_gmt":"2013-04-27T04:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=11436"},"modified":"2013-04-26T10:46:59","modified_gmt":"2013-04-26T14:46:59","slug":"loving-god-obedience-to-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/04\/27\/loving-god-obedience-to-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Loving God = Obedience to Him"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am going to ask a seemingly<\/em> ridiculous question.\u00a0 Do you love God?<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Yes, really; this is not a rhetorical question!\u00a0 Alright, here\u2019s another one: How about Jesus…do you love Him<\/em><\/strong>? Without any stretch of the imagination, I can see y\u2019all enthusiastically nodding your heads!\u00a0 Of course you are…me, too!\u00a0 Oh, how we love Him<\/strong> so<\/em>!<\/p>\n

So then, if\/since we do so VERY much love our heavenly Father and our Lord then we will equally affirm that we live out the following statements of our Lord\u2019s…<\/p>\n

If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.<\/span><\/strong>
\nJohn 14:15<\/p>\n

If a person [really] loves Me<\/em><\/strong>, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]….
\nAnyone who does not [really] love Me<\/em><\/strong> does not observe and<\/i> obey My teaching.
\nAnd the teaching which you hear and<\/i> heed is not Mine,
\nbut [comes] from the Father Who sent Me.
\n(verses 23 and 24)<\/p>\n

So I ask you, Jesus girl, follower of the Master, fellow-believer, child of God, “Is there any other way to\u00a0REALLY<\/strong> love Him<\/strong><\/em> other than obeying?”\u00a0 The answer\u2014Jesus\u2019 answer\u2014is a simple, decisive, emphatic\u00a0‘no<\/span><\/strong>.’\u00a0 Oh, there are other ways to demonstrate our love for Him<\/em><\/strong>, such as prayer, praise, worship through song, service to others, love for others, etc.<\/p>\n

But loving God = obedience to Him<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

There is only one way\u2014His way<\/strong>.\u00a0 We have not been left on our own, to figure out how to obey His commands or even to figure out what His commands are!\u00a0 By the grace of God, we have a \u2018\u00a0rule book,\u2019 guideline, structure.\u00a0 We have the Bible\u2014His Holy Words!\u00a0 God has never left His people\u2014starting with Adam and his Eve…to Abraham…to Moses and the children of Israel…to David…to Solomon…to the long line of prophets that God used to bring His Words to His people…to John the Baptist…to Jesus\u2019 Apostles…to Paul…to us\u2014without direction, without reminders of His commands, without loving reproof to help them back to the Truth.\u00a0 Our God is a Faithful Father Who is always there to help and guide and correct and lead, so that we can live lives of obedience to His Words.<\/p>\n

We know that an intrinsic part of obedience is knowing His Word and keeping, or treasuring, His Word in our hearts and minds.<\/p>\n

I have treasured (hid) Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You.
\nPsalms 119:11<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.
\nPsalms 40:8<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the epistle of 1st<\/sup> John<\/strong>, Jesus\u2019 words are reiterated by the Apostle John.<\/p>\n

\u00a0But he who keeps (treasures) His Word,
\ntruly in him has the love of and for God<\/em><\/strong> been perfected.
\nchapter 2, verse 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

For this is what love for God<\/em><\/strong> is: to keep His commands.
\nNow His commands are not a burden…
\nchapter 5, verse 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am sure that you, my friend, are just like me\u2014we SO yearn to show our love for our God<\/em><\/strong>!\u00a0 We voice our love for Him<\/em><\/strong> often and passionately!\u00a0 We sing our love for Him<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0out from the depths of our hearts in songs of praise and worship and adoration!\u00a0 Let us never, ever, not ever forget what comes first…what proves our love for Him<\/em><\/strong>…what is the start and finish of our love for Him<\/strong><\/em>…is a life lived in obedience to His Words.<\/p>\n