If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. —John 15:10
The key to abiding in a loving relationship is looking beyond our selfish desires and being considerate and respectful of the needs and wishes of the other person. Jesus taught us concerning the will of the Father for our lives and said that if we keep His commandments, we will abide in His love. There is no more secure place than in the love of God.
People want that refuge, peace, and hope that comes from God, but few fulfill their part of the relationship. If we truly want to experience the love of God and all the promises that come with it, we must keep His commandments.
The theme of this quarter is “Obedience.” We need to say “no” to self and “yes” to God. When we want to follow our own thinking and preferences, we need to stop and ask for God’s will. God is seeking people who will be obedient in every area of life. We will not please God if we pick and choose areas of obedience. It is easy to justify one’s disobedience in one area by pointing to their obedience in another. We need to obey the whole truth.
What the Bible teaches is absolute and non-negotiable, but obedience is our choice. It is one thing to look at sinners and see their lives of disobedience. It is another to look at ourselves personally and at our congregations. Are we living in total obedience to God? Are we speaking, acting, living, dressing, and conducting ourselves according to all the truth we know and understand? Let us ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
Obedience goes beyond the written Word of God. The Spirit of the Lord leads and guides us in truth. He convicts and gives direction. How are we responding to the Spirit? Are we quickly submitting to the small checks of the Spirit? If not, our conscience will be seared, and we will grow more callous and even indifferent to the work of the Spirit in our lives.
If we stop being quick to obey, it becomes harder and harder to return to a place of careful and complete obedience in our walk with God. Disobedience in one area of life quickly bleeds over into other areas of life. Places where we once had victory with God will begin to suffer because of a seemingly unassociated area of disobedience.
Let us stay sensitive to the Spirit and be quick to obey God’s dealings in our lives.
Michael W. Smith
April 2025
