By Glen Elliott
God has always required obedience. Yet, God
requires that obedience which rises out of a heart
of love and gratitude. Paul spoke of the love of
Christ as that which ought to motivate us to live
for the One who died and rose again on our
behalf (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
Jesus identified the greatest command, saying,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind” (Matthew 22:37). Without love in the
heart, our service to God is but empty ritual
(Isaiah 29:13).
On the other hand, genuine love will express
itself in complete and unconditional obedience
to the commands of our Lord. Jesus says, “If you
love Me, you will keep My commandments”
(John 14:15). If we say we love the Lord, while
deliberately disregarding His word, our religion
is nothing but pretense. Jesus questioned those
who were living according to human tradition,
asking, “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). God has
always desired obedience from the heart.
When King Saul failed to obey the voice of the Lord,
Samuel explained the significance of his disobedience,
saying, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). A lifetime of
worshipping God means nothing without a daily walk in
obedience to His will. Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Jesus
became to “all those who obey Him the source of eternal
salvation.” If we would truly please God, we must learn
and practice obedience from the heart.
Groveland, FL