“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John
With a new year, God has given me a new perspective. God has an amazing track record when it comes to keeping His word. In fact, you will not find one instance in the Bible where God said that He would do something in someone’s life where He did not do it. God is absolutely faithful to keep His word. When He says “I will…”, He will. When He says “I will not…”, He will not. Knowing this about God, I wonder why so many people doubt God’s promise of abundant life.
Jesus said that He came to give us life to the full, yet many people don’t seem to believe Him. Hmm…even I have said those famous words: “I just can’t wait to get to heaven”. Is life on earth simply a perpetual wish to escape? When impossible circumstances come our way, do we trade the joy we were meant to have for a desperate longing for peace and joy? Hopefully God will work this out and hopefully He’ll do it soon. Until then…I’ll just have to be content with less. Eventually God will work it out and then…
…and then what??? Then I’ll be happy? Then my joy will be complete? Then I will have peace? Then I will pursue God with all my heart?
No. Jesus came to give us life to the full now. The devil wants us to believe that abundant life is constantly beyond our next struggle or problem. He wants to steal the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ. Satan can’t take away the gifts God has given us. Only God can. If God has promised us joy in our salvation and full abundant life, then why do we settle for less???
It’s my personal conviction that we do not have the full life that Jesus came to give us, because we don’t know how to take hold of it. How do we accept the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give us?
Jesus said, “I know that [the Father’s] command leads to eternal life” (Jn.
God doesn’t just want obedience, He wants immediate and unconditional obedience. One of my favorite verses from Deuteronomy says, “The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws…” (Deut 26:16 emphasis mine). Not tomorrow. Not a week from today. Not next month or next year. God wants obedience right now. He also wants you to obey Him out of love for Him. Jesus said, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Mt. 6:1). God doesn’t play our game. He can’t be manipulated. You can do all the good things and righteous acts you want, but if the reason you do them is to get what you want from God or from others, you will not experience life to the full. God wants obedience right now and God wants obedience out of love for who He is and what He has done for you.
Picture yourself sitting with Jesus on a park bench on a warm sunny afternoon. He turns to you and begins to speak:
“Listen, my [child], accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life” (Pr. 4:10-13).
As He speaks to you, your mind begins to wander. You think about your girlfriend or boyfriend, your job, your friends, the movie you just watched last night, what you can do with your friends tomorrow.
“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).
He continues to speak with a sense of urgency in His voice. But your mind is elsewhere. You look around at the green grass and the beautiful trees. You notice a girl rollerblade past on the sidewalk. You see your dream car roll by on the street.
Isn’t scary how familiar that picture is to us? God is speaking into our life and we are so preoccupied with the things going on around us. He’s not even giving us specific commands anymore…He’s just trying to get our attention and get us to listen so He can speak into our lives. And we wonder why we are not experiencing the full and abundant life that He has promised us. If we would just listen! It’s like walking around with your fingers in your ears complaining about how your life is going. Ridiculous isn’t it? This is the word of Lord:
“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).
Types of Christians:
Christian #1: Isn’t willing to obey God at all. (Intentional Rebellion of Heart)
Christian #2: Knows the words of God and chooses to disobey anyway. (Intentional Rebellion of Heart and Mind)
Christian #3: Is willing to obey God but hasn’t a clue what His commands are. (Unintentional Rebellion of Mind)
Christian #4: Knows God’s Word and willingly obeys God (Intentional obedience of Heart and Mind) *Experiences life to the full*
Which of the above describes you best? Do you know God’s words and commands? Do you obey them? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you have life to the full. Why? Because the Bible says that God’s words are life. We experience eternal life in relationship with Jesus as we get to know Him through His Word. We experience abundant and full life with joy, peace, and love when we obey His Word. In fact, these are two of the biggest reasons why God gave us the Bible: To reveal Himself to us and to instruct us for life. I want you to prayerfully read this one more time:
“My [child], pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them with within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a [person’s] whole body” (Pr. 4:20-22).
If we truly believe these words of God, we would be memorizing God’s word each day: Hiding it in our hearts. Replaying it in our minds. Like a the words of a special friend, we would cherish and hold on to His words if we really believed what God says about them. As we would recall the heart-whisper of a husband or wife in our ear, so we would recall the words of our God throughout our days if we only understood the life that they bring.
In light of what I’ve said about the importance of knowing God’s words, for they are life, and obeying God’s Word, for it is full life, what will you do this year, starting right now? Please comment on what you will do out of love and obedience for God in light of His Word. Together, how can we please our God?
“Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path” (Ps. 119:97-104).
5 comments:
Hey Josh, First I wanted to say: Wow! Fantastic post! Definitely learned a lot. Keep pressin' on!!!
One way in which I can show my love for God is this - To KNOW and obey His commands. It seems simple, and sometimes it's so easy to push off of our "to do" list (or prioritize something else above it): Reading the Bible. I've been learning recently that it's so important to "feed yourself" the bread of life...for how would we be able to love Him - to obey His commands - if we did not first KNOW them? Here's a thought that's been pounding back in my head a lot, recently: We have to hear before we can respond; We have to know before we can obey (and love).
Excellent application! Who would have thought that it would be so simple. Just to read the Bible. Alot of times we struggle with that as easy as it should be. Another thing we can do is find a partner to keep us accountable with our reading. Also consider reading through the same book as someone else. It will give you some great opportunities for fellowship. Thanks Sharilyn.
This is a quote from Charles Stanley's Intouch Devotional today:
"Sadly, by deciding not to adjust to the Lord's will, far too many Christians miss out on His best - He shows them what changes need to be made, but they balk. Consequently, these believers spend their life wondering why peace and a lasting sense of satisfaction eludes them, no matter how many great things they might do or experience. Only obedient living according to the Father's plan makes it possible to attain genuine fulfillment."
Awesome post Josh, I truly learn more and more each time I read your blog, keep it up!
Hi Josh:
Your first post of the New Year is great and greatly appreciated.Thank you for continuing to share quality insights with us. A line in scripture, to obey is better than sacrifice, comes to mind as I read your post and the old hymn Trust and Obey.The chorus of that hymn is so true, Trust and Obey for there's no other way "to be Happy" in Jesus is to trust and obey. I also appreciated Sharilyn's comment on "Knowing" God's word and commands.Anyway thank you both, for your encouragement, challenge, and faithfulness to your readers. Happy and Blessed New Year as you and Sharilyn and others continue in your studies at Bible school.God Bless You.
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