WHAT SHOULD GOOD PREACHING LOOK LIKE?

I used to hate the “try harder, do better” sermons. I didn’t find them uplifting, but condemning. I found that I was never able to “do better.” Instead, I would leave church feeling like a loser, a spiritual failure, barely acceptable to God.

Slowly, the Lord began to open my eyes to a deeper understanding of grace – what Christ had accomplished for me on the Cross, taking all of my sins, inadequacies, and failures upon Himself. Consequently, the Gospel set me free.

However, I continued to disdain the slightest whisper of an obedience-oriented message.  I knew that my fruit fell far short of what the preacher was requiring from me. Therefore, I convinced myself that grace had replaced the need to be obedient and to bear fruit.

However, I also began to see that it was not just the preacher who was making demands of me; it was also Scripture. Even the One who had died for me and who had directed me to just believe (John 6:29; 8:24) was requiring fruit from me:

·       For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)

·       For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:46-48; ESV)

How could I possibly be perfect? I couldn’t, and, once again, I felt like a spiritual failure. I also began to see that repentance was not an option:

·       “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3-5)

In fact, so many of Jesus’ parables seemed to demand a high degree of righteousness as the ticket to enter into heaven. Right after His teaching about the need to repent, Jesus told a parable about a fig tree that didn’t bear fruit. After fertilizing it, if it still didn’t bear fruit, He would have it cut down (Luke 13:6-9). Gulp!

I struggled with the idea that perhaps Scripture was hopelessly conflicted and that all of my hope was for naught. How could salvation be a free gift and still be something that we earned through our good deeds?

My confidence in the Gospel hit bottom. I was in despair once again until the Spirit opened my eyes to the fact that, while the Good News of the Gospel still stands, a real faith along with a real new life will bear fruit as Jesus taught about a good tree:

·       “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:15-19)

If we are a good tree, by the grace of God, and have a real living faith, based upon the new life He has given us, then we will bear fruit as does the good tree. If we continue to bear bad fruit as the fig tree had, then we are not a good tree and should be cut down.

What then must biblical preaching look like? The Bible! It must include Gospel and law (obedience). Although the law, even the law of Christ, is not the Gospel, the two are inseparable. Faith and obedience always go together, and they should. If we trust God, we will do what He tells us to do. We will abide in His Word and keep His commandments. If we do not, we do not have a real living faith, the faith that comes to us as a gift from God:

·       And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. (1 John 2:3-5)

While obedience does not save us, it gives us the assurance that we are in Him. If we do not obey Him, we do not know Him savingly.

In fact, obedience is also necessary for growing in grace. They are interdependent. How? While trying to obey the Gospel, we reap blessings, but also frustration. Our failures to live obediently cause us great distress, knowing that we must conform our lives unto Christ (1 Peter 1:15:16). Even more troubling, we begin to see how unworthy we are of anything that comes from God (Luke 17:10).

This can throw us into crisis mode, where we see that our only hope is in the mercy of God. We therefore confess our sins and repent in brokenness. Through this humbling process, our Lord lifts us up, so that we can again see His mercy in neon lights. Encouraged, we recommit ourselves to the Lord and to obedience to His teachings.

This cycle is something we continue to experience. Each time, it deepens our appreciation of our incredible Lord and His Gospel.

Please note, that without pursuing obedience, we are not adequately humbled. Without the humbling, we will not be lifted in order to receive a more vibrant portrait of the Gospel and recommit to the Lord with ever-increasing vigor.

What does this suggest about biblical preaching? We need to preach both the law and Grace, the Gospel and our complete obedience to it. We must preach to expose and indict all sin and to comfort with the all-sufficiency of the Gospel.

“God Loves you” and the Shape of our Preaching

 

What should a good sermon look and feel like? One Christian scholar and Reformed brother answered the question this way:

• Sermons and Bible studies that focus on “law” (the demands of Scripture for our obedience), no matter how accurately biblical in context, tend simply to add to the burden of guilt felt by the average Christian. A friend of mine calls these sermons “another brick in the backpack” – you arrive at church knowing five ways in which you are falling short of God’s standards for your life, and you leave knowing ten ways, doubly burdened. In my experience such teaching yields little by way of life transformation, especially in terms of the joy and peace that are supposed to mark the Christian life.

There is truth in this. To understand the Bible is to perceive its Christo-centricity. It’s all about Christ. All the promises of God are fulfilled in Christ:

• For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Cor. 1:20)

Jesus also repeatedly pointed back to show how Scripture is about Him (John 5:39; Luke 24: 25-27; 44-48). Peter (1 Peter 1:10-11) and Paul did likewise (Acts 26:22-23).

Understandably, the above scholar warns against the do-better-try-harder sermon as unbiblically burdensome, tending “simply to add to the burden of guilt.” After all, since He is the One who has secured our grace and forgiveness through the cross, shouldn’t our teachings be Christ-centered, focusing on His mercy and not the moralistic, death-dealing requirements of the law? Yes! However, I think that this assessment requires some modification.

Christ is not only the mercy of God; He is also the righteousness of God. He is the all-in- all, embodying the fullness of God (Col. 2:9-10):

• But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22)

• It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.(1 Cor. 1:30)

However, Christ’s holiness does not let us off the moral hook. Instead, we too must be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Paul claimed that we must follow God’s unchanging moral dictates, even though no longer under the law:

• Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31)

Having been freed from the Covenant of the Law doesn’t mean that we are now free to murder and steal. Instead, we are now freed so that we can live under Christ and bear moral fruit by the Spirit:

• So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code [the Covenant of the Law]. (Romans 7:4-6)

Under the headship of our Savior, we have been reconciled to God, have received the Spirit, and He has His laws upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). And these laws are there for a purpose. They not only instruct us but they also guide us into moral obedience, and our teaching should reflect the Spirit’s plan.

Consequently, although Paul’s Pastoral Epistles are Christ-centered, they also law-centered. They require that our teaching and preaching demand moral holiness. In line with this, Paul insisted that all Scripture “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), not just the parts that emphasized God’s mercy.

He instructed Timothy to, ”Teach these things” (1 Tim. 4:11). Which things did Paul think that Timothy should teach? Just things of grace? No:

• For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Tim. 4:8)

Paul taught about how servants and masters should treat one another. Then he instructed Timothy to teach “these… things”:

• These are the things you are to teach and insist on…If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. (1 Tim. 6:2-4)

Understandably, it would have been difficult for servants to obey a harsh master, and so this command would have provoked feelings of guilt and possibly disdain. However, this should not be the last word for a Christian. Instead, the guilt should continue to lead us to Christ, forgiveness, and restoration.

Paul then instructed Timothy:

• Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Timothy 6:17-18)

These commands were not to simply be expressed on a personal level but also through teaching and preaching. It is unthinkable that these moral teachings could not be expressed in sermons or Bible studies.

In his next letter to the young pastor Timothy, Paul instructed:

• And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Tim. 2:2)

Paul didn’t simply teach Timothy about grace, but also the need for grace in the face of ubiquitous moral failures. Teaching adherence to the requirements of the law was central to Paul’s message to Timothy:

• Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen… Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly… Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 22)

Paul then instructed Timothy about the lawlessness in the last days when people would no longer be interested in hearing moral teachings. What was the answer? Teaching a message consisting only of “God loves you?” No! Preaching Scripture in its fullness would be required:

• Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Tim. 4:2)

This would be a message that would not only embody encouragement but also moral correction and rebuke!

Paul’s instruction to Titus about the substance of his teaching was similar – it had to include moralizing:

• You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. (Titus 2:1-3)

However, moralizing must not be isolated from grace:

• For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. (Titus 2:11-12)

“Grace… teaches!” What does grace teach? “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness!” The law should not be taught without the hope of grace; nor should grace be taught without the requirements of the law and our failures in light of them.

In light of this, theologian Iain M. Duguid wrote:

• To put it simply, he [Paul] never preached Ephesians 4-6 (the ethical imperatives) without connecting them to Ephesians 1-3 (the Gospel indicative.) (Is Jesus in the Old Testament? 12)

Law (requirements) and grace should not be separated in our teaching and preaching. They are partners that complement each other. The law highlights the exceeding beauty and necessity of grace, while grace is the necessary answer to our ubiquitous failures in light of the teachings of our Savior.

Paul observed that the law was instrumental in leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:22-24). I think that the convicting and humbling power of the law continues to show us the relevance of Christ:

• Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

God continues to humble us so that He might also exalt us:

• Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:9-10)

Good preaching should grieve us, but it must also lift us! Okay, we are no longer under the law. We are under Christ, but even His teachings still humble and provoke guilt. However, these difficult teachings serve to lead us back to the mercy of Christ where we again grasp what He accomplished for us on the cross.  It is when I am overcome with the sight of my own sins that the cross appears in its glorious splendor.

Without this, the God-loves-you message can become insipid and uninspiring. Instead, we need constant reminders of how much we need His love and forgiveness. Without these reminders, our preaching might be casting God’s precious seeds upon hardened ground unprepared to receive them.

I therefore think that the law still leads us humbly to the cross, while the cross gratefully and confidently leads us back to the law – a functional and growth-producing marriage.

Stop Massacring our People

For my first number of years as a Christian, I suffered from a lack of sound teaching. It was legalistic – try harder and do better – with just a thin veneer of grace. Consequently, I suffered with the fear that I just wasn’t good enough or likeable enough for God, and however hard I struggled to win His approval, I could never feel confident that I had. I therefore felt alienated from God and also from the church.

The understanding of the grace of God came slowly, but with it came peace and joy – a confidence that it was all about His righteousness and not my own. As I because convinced of His undying love for me, I was set free from so much that had tormented me.

However, we are saved and given this incredible free gift for a reason – to adore and serve Him gladly. We must not only bask in His love, we must also embody His love. As He has loved us, we must love others. As he has forgiven us, we must also forgive others. As He has done for us, we must do for others. Do we discard His commandments? No, we maintain it (Rom. 3:31):

·         “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10)

Obedience reflects our love. If we refuse to obey, it means that we refuse to love and even to trust Him. If we trust Him, we will do what He commands. If we don’t trust Him, we won’t!

If we do trust Him, we will endeavor to love the brethren, and when we fail – and we will fail – we confess our sins and try again. If we are unwilling to love the brethren, then we are unwilling to love God and to follow Him:

·         We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person… Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. (1 John 2:3-4, 9)

Love is both an indication of our salvation and a duty. If we have faith, we will love the brethren. If instead we refuse, we lie and don’t know the Lord. Therefore, we must repent.

How do we love the brethren? First, by recognizing who they are – any who put their trust in Jesus, anywhere in the world!

There are tens of thousands of Christians being routinely slaughtered, especially in Muslim countries, and the Western church remains largely silent:

·         Still, the response [to the genocide] remains muted. President Barack Obama could use U.S. moral authority and foreign aid leverage against countries turning a blind eye to persecution. Time magazine’s man of the year, Pope Francis, could use his Christmas message to highlight the suffering of Christians and make it a recurring theme of his papacy. It would be gratifying if the mainline U.S. Protestant churches that get so worked up every time Israel issues a permit to build a new home in the disputed West Bank could show a similar outrage backed up by a firm commitment to fight oppression of their fellow Christians.

This should be an embarrassment to us! When I raise this issue with “progressive Christians,” they shrug off their responsibility, protesting, “We are concerned about all people.” Although this is true, we have a special calling to first love the brethren:

·         “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35; 17:20-24)

If we love the brethren, we also serve others by demonstrating the reality of Jesus. If we don’t love the brethren and ignore this present genocide, then we fail to attest to the reality of Jesus.

Besides, love is meaningless if it doesn’t begin at home. The husband who doesn’t love his wife, doesn’t love his children either. Instead, we best serve our children by loving our mate. We best serve the world by loving the brethren.

How do we love the brethren? By praying for them! By opening our mouths! By crying out on their behalf! By carrying placards at the UN to embarrass the offending nations! By petitioning our pastors and legislators! By flying flags outside of our churches: “Stop massacring our people!”

Are Christians Still Under the Law of Moses?

There is a lot of confusion about this subject. Should we still tithe? Eat kosher foods? Penalize blasphemers? Some would say “Yes!” arguing that the Word of God endures forever (Isaiah 40:8). They rightly argue:

·        The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. (Psalm 19:7-9)

These are even sentiments reaffirmed by the Apostle Paul:

·        So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. (Romans 7:12)

If these truths still apply, it might seem that we are still under the Law. However, Paul explained that although the law still has relevance, it is relevant in a different way:

·        So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:4-6)

We still serve and obey God, but now “in the new way of the Spirit.” We have “died to the law.” Christ died in our place on the Cross, taking our sins upon Himself. This fulfilled the requirement of the law (Romans 8:3-4). We had deserved to die for our sins (Romans 6:23). However, the curse we deserved (Deut. 27:26; Josh. 8:33-35) fell upon Him, and because He fulfilled it, the curse or indictment of the law has been fulfilled. Therefore, the law can no longer bring a charge against us, because we have already – through Christ – paid the penalty. Therefore, we are freed from the law.

When we were under the law, sin abounded:

·        The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21)

Although we are no longer under the law, we still serve God according to His truths or laws, but in a very different way, as specified by the New Covenant. Jeremiah specifies several features regarding life under this New Covenant:

·        "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Here are some of its specifications:

1.      This New Covenant (NC) “will not be like” the Mosaic Covenant.

2.      Even though God had written His laws on all human hearts (Romans 2:14-15), this NC will entail a far deeper and intimate writing. As a result of this, Jesus’ ways will become our ways. Following His laws will feel satisfying. His yoke will feel light - even a delight. However, it seems that this writing of the laws on our heart is a gradual process (2 Cor. 3; John 8:31-32) that occurs as we meditate on His Word (Psalm 1).

3.      It seems that some aspects of this NC have not yet been fulfilled. The “house of Israel and…Judah” have not yet received the NC. And perhaps it won’t be until His heavenly kingdom fully comes, when we will “all know” the Lord.

4.      He “remember[s] their sins no more." There will never be any more condemnation for those who are His (Romans 8:1).

Consequently, we now follow the law of God, but in a very different way. We realize that we don’t follow the law to be saved but instead, because we are saved. Doing good deeds isn’t the cause of salvation but the consequence of salvation. In fact, following the law never saved anyone:

·        Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

Instead of providing a means to attain righteousness and salvation, the law brought condemnation and showed us the truth about ourselves – that we are sinners who need the mercy of God.

   

Consequently, our only hope is that we are no longer under the law, but under grace:

·        For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

This is because the New Covenant has replaced the Old:

   

·        By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear. (Hebrews 8:13)

The Old disappeared entirely in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple. As a result of the Cross and this destruction, not even the Jews are under the Mosaic Covenant anymore. Instead, all are under the covenant that God has written on the hearts of men (Romans 2:14-15). Consequently, all are “without excuse” before God (Romans 1:20).

Even though we aren’t under the Old, but under Christ, the law still represents the holiness and righteousness of God. Consequently, we still have to “uphold” it:

·        Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31)

I know that this sounds like a contradiction – not under the law but upholding the law! How can  both be true? Clearly, the covenant of the law has been fulfilled in its entirety as Jesus had indicated:

·        "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

Jesus didn’t “abolish” the law; He fulfilled it on the Cross. He had “accomplished” everything that had been required of the law. However, the law remains “holy…righteous and good,” as Paul declared. This means that the law can still instruct us regarding God’s love, mercy, wisdom and our sin.

We have to ask the question, “How does the law guide us today?” Jesus often quoted from the law and expounded upon its deeper spiritual meaning. Murder wasn’t simply a matter of hitting someone over the head with a rock. We could also murder with our words and looks:

·        "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

Similarly, adultery wasn’t simply an external action. It also involved the heart and intentions. Love requires that our motives match our actions. We cannot love only in our actions, while we hate in our heart. If the two aren’t aligned, we are hypocrites. And when they aren’t aligned, we have to confess our sins. The law is about love in both our thinking and acting:

·        So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

·        Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10)

The law instructs us how to love. Consequently, we are commanded to uphold the law in this sense, although we are no longer under the law. We are also commanded to uphold the laws of the land - and this too is love (and wisdom) - even though we are not spiritually under these laws.

To put it another way, we are no longer under the specific commands (or the threats – Christ fulfilled the threats!) of the Mosaic Law, which only pertained to theocratic Israel:

·        Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Col. 2:16-17)

How do we apply this truth? Although we are still supposed to keep the Sabbath – we want to honor the Lord in a special way at special times – we are even free to choose the day or even a set of times (Romans 14:5-6). This is one way that we love our Lord. The specifics of the law have changed but not the underlying principle, which we continue to uphold (or fulfill) in love.

This brings us back to the often-asked question about tithing. Does it still apply? The details might not, but the underlying principle, as illuminated by the New Testament, still applies:

·        Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:6-7)

Although Paul mentions nothing about tithing, he does encourage liberal and joyous giving. All good things come from God. He therefore has a right to everything that we have, and He blesses us in our giving. Therefore, our prayer should be something like this:

·        Lord, everything I have is yours. Therefore, You direct my heart and mind to use my resources in a way that pleases You. Also Lord, let me find more joy in giving than in holding on to my resources. Also let me not be anxious about trying prove my love, which might result in hasty and un-wise giving.

   

Antinomians go to the opposite extreme. They dismiss the law entirely. However, Christ’s teachings are also “law.” Therefore, to dismiss the law is to dismiss the commands of Christ. However, if we love Christ, we will keep His commands:

·        This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)

We can’t love God if we refuse to obey His commands. On the contrary, if we obey Him, we are blessed by Him:

·        If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you...If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you…You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:7-14)

If we refuse to be obedient, we cannot be His friends. Nor can we use our so-called spiritual freedom for sin:

·        You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:13-16)

How do we “live by the Spirit?” By following His teachings! However, beware of a great danger – that we might wrongly suppose that we are earning something from God through our obedience. Please banish this thought immediately. Instead, we need to realize that we cannot earn even a smile from God:

·        "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" (Romans 11:35)

Our Lord will never be in the position where He owes us anything! It’s all by grace (Gal. 3:1-5). Therefore, we must regard ourselves as unworthy servants (Luke 17:10)! Paul affirmed this about himself:

·        But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Cor. 15:10)

We must also confess, “by the grace of God I am what I am,” but this truth should never interfere with our loving obedience to our God. Even though Paul credited God with everything, this never prevented him from “working harder.” However, he even credited God for his hard work. We do reap what we sow (Gal. 6:8-9), but we are only enabled to sow by the grace of God (Phil. 2:12-13).

   

I’m sure that this essay will provoke many questions. I certainly welcome them to help others in their pursuit of our Lord’s love, joy and peace.