John 14:23-24 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. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

When you come right down to it, it’s pretty easy to tell who really loves Jesus. All the protestations in the world don’t hold a candle to simple obedience. This was hardly the first time Jesus had said something like this. Luke 6:46 and the following parable of people building houses addresses this issue. What we say is important, not least because confession is part of salvation itself (Romans 10:9-10), but our actions must back up our words. James and John both dealt with this in terms of how we treat one another. (James 2:15-16, 1 John 4:20-21) When our love for Jesus is genuine to the point of obedience, the reciprocity is amazing. Just as Jesus said, the Father loves us and the whole Godhead comes and makes its dwelling in us. In human understanding, not to mention physics, that’s an impossibility, but it’s a glorious reality for countless saints. We keep coming back to the issue of what is God’s part to do and what is our part, in salvation and everything else. It is true that in terms of power there is no comparison, but that does not leave us with nothing to do: we must choose obedience. Sometimes, from our perspective that can look very difficult. However, once the choice is made and acted on, the benefits become obvious. Meditating in all humility on the implications of being indwelt by the Godhead should be enough to blow anyone’s mind!

I have experienced loving obedience toward God in my own life, as well as the lack thereof, and I have certainly observed it as a pastor. This ties in closely with the matter of knowing the truth versus doing it, which keeps coming up in my devotions because it’s such an issue for me. It does me no good to have intellectual knowledge of God’s truth if I fail to apply it in my life. What’s why my devotions follow the SOAP formula, (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) as taught by Wayne Cordeiro. Without application, I’ve just put another folder in the file cabinet, to be forgotten with all the rest. (In my case, a closer analogy would be adding another paper to the pile on my desk!) Any time I know something is from God, which includes these morning devotional times, I’ve got to consider how to do what I’ve been told, not whether to do it. As I teach God’s truth to others, I’ve got to give them handles for grasping it to put it into action in their own lives. Tools are of no use if you can’t hang onto them long enough to wield them properly. I need to help people with knowing how to keep God’s Word in their hearts, not as guilt-inducing memory but as active encouragement, strength and comfort.

Father, You’ve laid out a task I certainly can’t do in my own wisdom and strength. Thank You, because I know that means I have to depend on Your Spirit doing it through me. Help me be fully active in my pursuit of You and Your Word, to abide in it and apply it in every detail of my life, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!