The need for obedience, both in repentance, and in action in life is so clear. But HOW? How do we obey?
For example, how can we possibly repent rightly? Have you ever been in a situation where you had sinned, and you knew you needed to repent, but you didn’t ‘FEEL’ it? You weren’t actually remorseful?
How do we get our hearts to truly obey? Even in this most basic Christian reality? The answer from Scripture is clear.
Obedience must flow from love - we know these passages, don’t we?
In John 14:15 - Jesus said, if you love me you WILL obey!
And in Matt 22:37-40 - The first and second commandments - love God and love others - are the sum of the whole law.
We obey because we love God - this is what fuels TRUE repentance and TRUE obedience - Love for GOD! That’s the only way to truly obey God.
But where does love come from? How do we love God? Because so often we don’t love Him or love others.
But the Bible tells usOUR LOVE IS A RESPONSE to HIS LOVE FOR US!
1 John 4:10 - In this is love -
And, 1 John 4:19 - We love because He first loved us.
BUT - how do we know He loves us? How can we trust that He truly does?
The answer is by FAITH - faith in His love for us is the only possible fuel for us to love Him. And love for Him is the only possible fuel for us to obey!
So if we make this immensely practical, how do you fight sin?
How do you truly repent?
How do you desire God?
How do you love Him??
All of those are acts of obedience. They are commands!
So - how do we do those things?
We do them by faith in His love for us! Anything else is fakery and hypocrisy! But faith, working through love, will fulfill the whole law (Gal 5:6).
