DAY NINTEEN Obey His Commandments Writing to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul made this proclamation of liberty in Christ, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Bible makes it clear that our salvation comes from what Christ did for us, not what we could ever do. But in the very next verse, Paul explains that as a result of our salvation we are called to a life of obedience and service. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). We are saved by grace -- but for the Christian, there is work to be done. As we have learned, our main purpose in life is to love God. The Westminster Catechism states that, Mans chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever. One of the ways that we glorify God is by obeying His commands. Jesus made it clear that not all who call themselves Christians are actually true believers. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21). The Bible tells us that we are to walk in holiness, just as God is holy. It says that we are to love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Believers are to forgive those who harm them. We are not to let the sun go down while we are still angry. We are to reach out in practical ways to hurting people in the world with acts of compassion in the Name of Jesus. And we are to fulfill the Great Commission -- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). Out of our obedience to Gods Word and His leading comes peace and prosperity that can be passed on from generation to generation. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom (Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV). Living Gods way is not easy in a world of unbelievers, but we must press on. Our lives demonstrate the love of Jesus to a world that needs Him. The Lord will bless you as you pray, read scripture, fellowship with other believers, and live a righteous life. And you will be a blessing to others from the abundance of Gods love that flows forth from you. Action Point Think of someone you know who has lived a clean and virtuous life. Have you seen rewards in his or her life? Thank them today for their Christian example to you. Determine to be an example of Christian love and obedience to someone else. Is there an area of your life where you are not being completely obedient to God? Confess that to the Lord today. Ask Him to help you to walk in complete obedience to His Word and to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. Prayer Heaven Father, I come to you today and I ask you to shine the light of Your Holy Spirit on my life. Show me if there are any areas of disobedience to the principles of Your Word. Remind me of the directives that You have given to me that I have not followed. Give me grace to walk in holiness and in love for my fellow man. Help me to balance obedience to the righteous requirements of Your Word with Your call to walk in grace and love for others. Do not let me fall into a pit of legalism, or a pit of license -- but help me to walk the straight and narrow road of grace and truth. 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. John 14:23 (NIV)
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:32:29 +0000