Day 16: GREATER OBEDIENCE
1 John 2:1-6 and 1 John 5:1-5
I hate passages like these. Once you read them you know that you can no longer just talk about what you believe, talk about how spiritual you are, or talk about how much the Lord means to you – now you have to demonstrate it! These are what I’ll call, “put up or shut up passages.” No matter how we try to justify or rationalize what we do or think, real faith in Jesus Christ is demonstrated by what we do. Do we live in obedience to His Word? Do our lives bear fruit? Do I love in the way that God has loved me?
Before you stop reading because you are convinced you fail in all three categories let me assure you that none of us are perfect. God does not look for perfect believers, but He does expect us to strive for perfect obedience – especially when we know what we are supposed to do. It is one thing to fail to be obedient by an act of omission (I didn’t know I was supposed to do that), but another to fail to be obedient by an act of commission (I just didn’t want to obey). The Christian faith is a demonstrated faith – you can’t help but live out what the Lord has done in your life. It is demonstrated in the obedient actions of all who believe. In what ways have you failed to act in obedience to God’s Word? Don’t go another day without changing that!
PRAYER: Lord, show me the areas of my life in which I have not been obedient to Your Word. Show me the attitudes, actions and thoughts that I have not taken captive to the Word of God. I confess my disobedience and ask Your forgiveness. Grant me the strength to obey. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen