By: Phil Hopkins
It has been frequently mentioned about the importance of seeking and obeying God and only God. It is given to us in the Bible. We find about what we must do in John 14:15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. It is interesting and scary to see how the religious world will misuse and misinterpret this passage. We all want to think that we are obeying God but if you read the Bible so many folks use it to try to justify their disobedience of God. We hear many different responses to this question and see many that try to justify their position in many different ways.
The thought is repeated later in this chapter in John 14: 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. The writer, John, does not want us to miss his point since he repeats this point. Why do we let our human “wisdom” confuse us about what God wants? We let those around us influence us. Our human allegiances distort our thinking to follow men instead of God. We find Israel fell into this same trap and the prophets urged them over and over again to follow God and not man, however we fall into the same trap. Satan will always be there telling us to take the “easy” way instead of God’s way.
This concept is so important as to put it several places in the Bible. We find it again in 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. Will we take a good look at ourselves? Our love of God will be shown in our willingness to submit to God and his commandments. Obedience is the only way. The question remains, do we truly love God or are we just playing games? Do we want the easy way or God’s way? If we love God then we will quickly give up any behaviors that would put us into conflict with God. God and his word become one with our behaviors and we will search God’s word for how we should obey him.
Over the years many folks have mistakenly talked about how God was different between the Old and New Testaments. 1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. Our Holiness is determined by our faithfully following God’s word and unless we are obedient we sin and we are not holy as God has commanded us to be.
God first said this in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy. God is holy as we are to be. God is the same always. Forever. In fact the only constant in this world is God. Psalms 15:4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not; He wants our exclusive love and obedience. Our love for God is shown through our obedience of him. God did the same and commanded the same in both testaments. Both Israel and the church are to obey God, to love him and put him first. Again in the Old Testament he said: Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God. To show us his eternal and consistent nature, he repeats this in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.
He wants us all to follow him the way that David did as he says in Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will. David wasn’t perfect but he always asked for forgiveness when he had done wrong and he loved( obeyed) God in all that he did. We are to put God first as David did. David had complete faith in God as shown in his willingness to fight and conquer Goliath. He used one small stone thrown with a sling. Do we have that kind of faith in God? Are we willing to trust completely in God? Is our service to God complete? Can it be said that we put God first? Or do we try to justify our missteps?
We treat attendance at worship as if it is optional. We follow teachers who teach error, we refuse to go out to spread the gospel, The list goes on and on.