Bible Thoughts

April 11, 2004

Christians talk about the love that we have for Christ and for His church. Each disciple recognizes there is such an emotion as the love of God and such love is essential to please the Lord. All disciples believe what Jesus said in John 14:23, "If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." To put it plainly: Love is essential to obedience and obedience is essential to love.

Attempting obedience without love is folly. As surely as we move upon this earth, love is essential to obedience to God. Why is it so essential in obeying Christ? Consider carefully the following reasons:

1. We are able to recognize the divine authority of Christ. IF we will let our hearts to be filled with the love that Christ would want of each of us, we will have no difficulty in recognizing that He is the supreme head of our lives and that God is the supreme lawgiver. Realizing this truth, we will want to submit, because of the love we have, to obey the Lord in all that is set forth in the Word of God.

2. So long as there is love in obedience, we will readily see that it is difficult to separate Christ and Christ's will. When we truly have affection for an individual, we will want to do the bidding of that person. When we have filled our lives with an undying love for God's Son, his every desire will be our command. No matter how trivial something might seem to men, the faithful of God will use all of their power to carry out the will of the Almighty. When we submit to the will of Jesus Christ, we will be submitting to the Lord.

3. Where there is love in obedience, It will manifest itself in practical form and action. For some the worship of God consists of a mere two or three hours of public service each week. For others, it is a ceaseless servitude of twenty-four hours a day. To one it is a burdensome task, to another it is a joy with feelings so deep that happiness shows brightest when one is doing something positive for the Lord. What is the difference? One has love for Christ; the other does not. Being a Christian is a practical religion. It is to be lived, not in some holier-than-anything habitation once or twice a week--but in everyday activities. The Christian who truly loves Christ will make it his every aim to live up to the will of his Master.

Proper obedience will consist of an all-out submission to Christ and not just obedience to those commands that suit one's likes and dislikes. The faithful disciple will not question the reason for any command that might not suit one's fancy. The earnest Christian will, with a glad and understanding heart, faithfully and cheerfully do all that the Lord has commanded.

A whole-hearted performance of all of Christ commands by faith is an everyday practical religion that makes one's obedience more real to the faithful. Mechanical acts of religion hold a grip on a lot of religious people in our day. They go through the motions, but fail to have religion in the heart(mind). Too many are like a machine: As a machine goes through its daily grind, those not fully devoted to the Lord and His cause follow through on a few actions in their religious activity and fail to recognize the reality and benefits of that which is provided through Jesus Christ. Artificial religion is no religion at all!

4. Religion will be give one greater meaning when love motivates the disciple in one's daily activities.

The absence of love leaves only an empty place in the heart of one who is not energetic and dedicated to the Master's will. It is difficult for one to become enthusiastic for the Lord's word if one does not possess a love for the word of God. The enthusiastic disciple will find that obedience is not a drudgery, but a joy and a privilege. Love begins in the heart of the one who recognizes his own spiritual state. When we realize that Jesus left Heaven to come to earth to make it possible for each of us to be eternally in Heaven with Him we will accept and obey His word without question or hesitation--that is love. In the absence of the love for the Lord, for the word of God, and for other disciples leaves out the joy and happiness of one who is a disciple.

5. Where there is love in obedience there is loyalty.

No man can love two masters in religion. It is an utter impossibility. Christ demands that we give undivided service to Him. If we have the love for God in our hearts, there will be no disloyalty, but complete dedication to the Almighty. It is only through love that we will ever reach or ever expect to reach the state whereby we are wholly loyal unto the Master, Jesus Christ.

Love is essential in obedience. Let us fill our hearts with love. Let us motivate our lives by love. Let us grow in our love. If we do, there will be no danger of transgression.

The church of Jesus Christ possesses an attitude that allows one to investigate the whatever is taught by any congregation or individual. We even solicit others to compare the teachings of the local church with the Bible. Such a commendable attitude is not always found in the denominational world. Last Monday night, it was our privilege to enter into a discussion on the subject of whether we are to observe the Sabbath. The men who represented the Seventh Day Adventist Church are, no doubt, sincere in their belief and tried to justify their positions from the scriptures. A commendation to them for their willingness to enter into such a discussion.

The willingness to search and discuss the scriptures is indeed a way to finding the truth. One should have no fear of investigating what one believes in the light of the scriptures. The Lord's people have always been open to discussions of what the scriptures reveal. While there are some among "churches of Christ" who refuse to discuss issues that exist even among congregations, it is a shameful attitude that does nothing toward finding the truth on issues that are controversial.

How devastating to the cause of truth when Christians take the attitude that one should not examine and expose error in religion whether among churches of Christ or other religious bodies. The Lord has always invited men to investigate His Law. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah"(Isaiah 1:18). Christ invites all to come and learn of him, reasoning from the scriptures(Matthew 11:29). Paul told Timothy to "take heed to thyself and to thy teaching"(I Timothy 4:16). When we refuse to have our teaching and practices questioned and investigated, something is wrong with one's religion.