Obey The Word.
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
How often do we sit in church, admiring our own spirituality and nod our heads and think thoughts like:
“Yes, Pastor..this is so true. I know someone who really needs to hear this message.”
As I was studying Moses and the Israelites, thoughts came to my mind that ridiculed them for their disobedience. Suddenly I realized that this study was for me. I was disobedient, I was grumbling and complaining. I am no better than the Israelites, in fact I am just like them.
Change had to happen. Once you learn the truth the time comes when you have to actually put it into practice. Listening is easy, but change is harder.
So how do we do what the Word says? First… I am going to ask you why.
Here is the answer.
John 14:23-24
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me.”
So if we love God, we will obey His Word.
If you love Me, keep My commandments: This is a fair measure of our love for Jesus. It is easy to think of loving Jesus in merely sentimental or emotional terms. It is wonderful when our love for Jesus has sentiment and passion, but it must always be connected to keeping His commandments, or it isn’t love at all. (David Guzik)
I will readdress the how we can change. How can we do what God’s Word commands? It is through prayer and through the Holy Spirit. When we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ, our lives and our minds are reformed.
We know God is love, but when we realize that to please God we have to love Him enough obey Him, there is a change of focus.
1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
