A discipline of Holiness

Something I am consistently reminded of is that love is a choice. Love is not easy. Love is not something that we simply acquire. Love is not some special feeling that we get. If love was simply a feeling that we got, then what do we call it when we don’t ‘feel’ love? I am going to take a step here and call it ‘obedience.’

It is very clear, as Jesus teaches, that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. I think it would be safe to say that loving our neighbor can be a tough task. Forgiving others of their sins that are against us is tough, and because it is a tough thing to do, we can tend to not take it seriously. The fact that because we don’t understand this concept, we think we are out of the wrong of sinning by not forgiving. Forgiveness is a command.

We don’t take seriously the fact that our Father is in authority over us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about freedom in the Kingdom, but where there is much freedom, there must be much responsibility. With much responsibility must come much discipline. And with that discipline, we must take our obedience in our every day walk very seriously.

            I call myself a Christian. Which means that I follow Christ. I call Christ my Lord and Savior (When I don’t act this way, praise the Lord for His mercy upon me). It is no longer I who live but it is Christ who lives in me. I strive to be like Christ.

            Well, what might that mean? If we look at who Jesus is as he walked the earth, he was always obedient to the Father. He spent time with our Father, alone. He wanted to hear from Him. He needed to hear from Him. Jesus, who walked this earth without sin, was in absolute surrender to the obedience of the Father, to the point of death.

            If it is the Father that you truly love, you will truly obey. To choose to obey is to choose to love. This very obedience is what called Christ into the very glory of our Father. Philippians 2:9 says, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” If it is glory that we seek, why is it that we overlook obedience? Humbling ourselves by becoming obedient to the point of death seems to be the way to glory. So let us not fool ourselves. God cannot be fooled. If you call yourself a Christian, or if you claim Christ as Savior, then may you only seek obedience to the Father. You see, obedience of dying to self is the only path to glory, to life, and to a divine love.

As we step more into this love, we experience more of this love. Which is an importance of such obedience. Jerry Bridges writes in The Pursuit of Holiness, “It is not that His love is conditioned on our obedience. That would be legalism. But our experience of His love is dependent on our obedience.” The more we step into that obedience, the more we step into experiencing our Father’s love. The more we step into experiencing the Father’s love, the more we fall in love. We see His love for us so much more because we are allowing ourselves (or better said, opening up) to experience more and more. We then see His undying love for us in a deeper way. When we see His undying love deeper and deeper, then the one thing that can truly fill us, the Lord’s rest, fills up that hole that is inside us.

Men, I call out to you. Obedience is what makes a difference in our lives, and in those around us. Obedience is not legalism; it is only legalism if you are trying to prove yourself. Be obedient to the Father in everything you have. If it is murder in your heart, confess it and ask forgiveness. If there is distrust with your spouse, then sow trust and trust will be reaped. It is true what is said, “you reap what you sow.” Sow obedience (an act of love), and love will be known. The Good Lord blesses His children, abundantly.

Acts 5:32

“… and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”