“The essence of the Christian faith is to obey Jesus unconditionally.” Do you agree?
As Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” And further in John 14:23, he says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.”
Why does Jesus want us to obey him? And how will we be blessed by doing so? By obeying Jesus, we will deepen our love for him. Our relationship with him will grow more intimate. Our trust in and commitment to him will increase as we submit to him more and more. We will experience life through his eyes and heart and will want to serve him sacrificially.
And when challenges and struggles beset us, obeying Jesus’ teaching is like following a spiritual compass to see us through our difficulties and give us peace, even amid pain and suffering. In such times, we will be guided and protected by his divine wisdom, care and love.
As we obey Jesus day by day, we will become more like him in thought, words and deeds. We will cultivate the fruit of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We will be “blessed inside out”.
By obeying and thus being transformed by Jesus, we will be a blessing to others. Our heart will exude love for them. This will be manifested in our deeds and words that will show our love and care for them and thus draw them closer to Jesus.
But how are we able to obey Jesus? Paradoxically, it is to exercise our will by surrendering it to him. While we should pray, study God’s Word and be guided by fellow believers, it is fundamentally about submitting to God’s Spirit to allow Him to work in and through us so that our inner being can be transformed. And when our heart is more aligned with Jesus’, obedience to him will increase as our willingness to do so will be enhanced, strengthened and fortified.
In fact, obeying Jesus is not a one-time affair; it is to start and stay committed on a journey of being faithful to him, no matter the circumstances, whether in times of joy or suffering. And God’s Spirit will guide us as we do so.
So, brothers and sisters, if you have not already done so, would you like to embark on this journey to obey Jesus today?