Have you ever wondered what the best way to show our love for God is? I believe that the one word that can be used to show our sincere love for Jesus is – obedience! For we read in (John 14:23): “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’”
Evangelist Bob Jones, Sr. captures the sense of (John 14:23) well when he shared the following: “The acid test of our love for God is obedience to His Word. The greatest ability is dependability. The test of your character is what it takes to stop you. Trust God as if it all depends upon Him, and work as if it all depends upon you.”1
If you say you love God then obedience to His word and commands is the tangible evidence of that love. And not only does God deserve our obedience, He requires it, for we read in (Deuteronomy 10:12-13): “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”
But as much as God loves us He will never force us to love Him in return. But what God does do is to show us from His Word why He is so worthy to be loved and obeyed because of who He is and the incredible amount of blessings He lavishes us with. Below are just a few of the reasons He alone is worthy of our supreme love manifested through our complete obedience to His commands.
If you are a Christian then one, He has forgiven you a lifetime of sins. Two, He promises you eternal life with Jesus. Three, no matter how difficult life may be on earth for you, He promises to never leave you or forsake you – and when you die He promises to give you a glorified body and eternal bliss! Four, joy and peace are the by-products of your obedience to Jesus. Five, God says that He will answer your prayers, especially when you are obeying His commands and walking in His will. And six, God shows you just how much He loves you by letting you know that next to the Trinity you are the most precious thing in the universe.
I don’t know about you but with all of these blessings, and the certainty of looking forward to eternal life, how can I not want to show my love to God through my obedience to His Word. God’s love towards me is so amazing and his blessings so mind-boggling that the least I can do is to show my love to Him by obeying His commands – which in reality are all designed for my good! May your prayer be the same as mine: “Father help me to always obey your Word for you alone are worthy to receive my highest praises and unceasing love!”
1 TOP 14 QUOTES BY BOB JONES, SR. | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)