In my previous two messages, I described the characteristics of a Christ follower and how to become more obedient to Christ. In this message, we’ll explore the benefits that you can receive in this life when you’re obedient to God’s word.
You’ll get a Joy fill-up
Jesus demonstrated what perfect obedience to God looks like, and because of that obedience, He benefited from the love of His father in heaven. In the same way, we can abide in Christ’s love and as a result, be filled with joy.If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.Notice that it says that your joy will be full. You won’t just have a little joy or a moderate amount of joy. If you keep God’s commandments, you’ll have more joy than you can possibly imagine.
John 15:10-11
You’ll become a friend of Jesus
Jesus promised that He would be a friend to those who obey all of His commands. Notice that it doesn’t say if you do some of the things I command you. His friendship requires complete obedience.You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.Verse 15 goes on to explain the benefit of friendship with Jesus.
John 15:14
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.Jesus shares the wisdom and the plans of His father with everyone who He calls a friend. I want to be a friend of Jesus. How about you?
John 15:15
You’ll receive good things from God
God wants to give His children good things. Jesus said “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11).The apostle John said that we can receive anything we ask for as long as we keep God’s commandments.
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.Before you shoot off a prayer asking God for a luxury car, a dream home, or to win the lottery, just keep in mind that your request has to be in alignment with God’s will. If it’s not His will for you to become an instant millionaire, then your prayer will not be answered. In contrast, if your prayer is aligned with God’s will, you will receive whatever you ask for.
1 John 3:22
You’ll enter the kingdom of heaven
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter”.This gets into a tricky area of theology because most pastors these days teach that all you have to do to be saved is to believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for your sins and rose again on the third day. It’s true that those are requirements for salvation, but if that’s all that’s required for you to be saved, then why does Jesus say we won’t enter heaven unless we do God’s will?
Some make the argument that if you believe in your heart that Christ is who He said He was, instead of just having a superficial belief, then your love for what Christ did for you will result in an obedient life. Others say that obeying God’s word is a requirement to be saved in the first place which implies that you have to clean up your life before you can come to God.
Putting the finer points of theology aside, the end result is that if we want to enter heaven, we must obey God’s word. God willing, I’ll write about this in more depth in a future message.
Final thoughts
If you’re already living your life in obedience to God’s word, I hope that this message motivates you to remain diligent in your walk with Christ. If you’re not living the blessed life of obedience, I pray that what you’ve just read will motivate you to get on the right path.I’ve listed my earlier two messages in this series below. If you missed them, I hope you’ll check them out.
May you receive all the blessings that God has promised as you walk in obedience to His word,
Daniel
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