Love and Obedience: Inseparable Friends.

For a Bible study/memory competition this summer called the National Bible Bee (click Here for more information) I've been studying John 13-15. As I was studying John 14 a truth seemed to just jump off the page at me. In John 14:15, Jesus is talking to his disciples and says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." I believe that this verse holds the key for a deeper and more consistent relationship with God. Many people today believe that they can have love without obedience. The problem is that love and obedience are two inseparable friends. If you try to have one without the other you will have neither. An attempt at love without obedience equals liberalism. An attempt at obedience without love equals legalism. When one truly loves Jesus they cannot help but obey him. Obedience is impossible without love, but when we truly love we cannot help but to obey. Judas and Peter are two excellent examples of the difference a heart of love makes when one is trying to obey. Judas tried to obey, but eventually betrayed Jesus in the most cruel manner. I believe that this heartless betrayal occurred because Judas was trying to obey without any true love. Peter, although he also fell and denied Jesus, rose again to new heights of victory because he was following Jesus out of an heart of love. 1 John 4:19 states, "We love him, because he first loved us." Jesus is our example of love. We can have a heart of true love if we ask God to give us his true love.

So here are a couple things to remember. 
A. Love and Obedience cannot be separated.
B. Obedience can only be achieved out of a heart of love.
C. Love comes only from God. 

Let us go on our way with true love, and obedience will always follow.

Denver Bontrager

(photo credits- Denver Bontrager)

Editors note- When your younger brother is finishing high-school and only has some work to score and re-score before he is DONE, you help him with the scoring, and he writes your blog post!

"How is it That Ye Have No Faith?" (Part Two)

       Love.  I truly believe that this is what the disciples were missing; they didn't understand God's love!  I John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."  If "perfect love" casteth out fear, then what is perfect love?  Is it us loving God perfectly?  No, because I John 4:10 says, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  

       What, then, is "perfect love"?  The answer is found in I John 4:16-17, which says, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."  Verse 17 starts out by saying, "Herein is our love made perfect," thus referencing what has just been said in verse 16.  What does verse 16 say is the way to have "perfect love"?  It gives us three keys-

       #1.  We must KNOW God's love.  Think about it- no one ever experienced God's love without first KNOWING that it existed!  That may sound elementary, but it's true.  We can't be made perfect in God's love without first knowing that it exists.

       #2.  We must BELIEVE God's love.  Acts 16:31 says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."  No one can get saved without BELIEVING on Jesus Christ.  And why do we believe on Him for Salvation?  Because of the love that He poured out on Calvary!  If a person doesn't BELIEVE that Jesus loves them, then why would they trust Him for Salvation?

       #3.  We must DWELL in God's love.  I believe that this is where most Christians, including myself, fail.  We KNOW about the love of God, we BELIEVE in the love of God, and yet we often fail to DWELL in the love of God.  Dwelling in God's love is simply this - a conscious, continuous state of making God’s love our habitation.  Dwelling in God’s love is like dwelling in your house- you live there.  Dwelling in God's love is accepting the fact that God loves us so much that He has given us everything we need, and that He will take care of us in every situation.  Luke 12:6-7 says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”  What is Jesus saying in these verses?  Fear not, because God loves you!  

       Regardless of what we go through, God is in complete control.  If you are His child, then he has already promised to work everything out for your good (Romans 8:28).  He does ALL things well!  Do I fully understand why everything in my life happens the way it does?  No, I don't.  But when the  circumstances of life are beyond my control, I know that I can safely trust the Love of God!

        

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure—

The saints’ and angels’ song.