Don’t Bother Obeying If You Don’t Love!
“Sadly… Failing to keep the words and commandments of Jesus Christ and the Word of God is the greatest proof that you really don’t love Him.” Jennifer Leza
If you are in love with someone, you want them to love you back. You want them to want you. That’s what makes chemistry and a good marriage – a man and a woman who spontaneously reciprocate love to each other – because they truly love one another. Think about that. No human would deny such a simple, self-evident truth. Well, the One who made us wants us to want Him – to love Him.
Just WHAT is there not to love about the LORD and Savior Jesus Christ? If we haven’t taken time to get to know about Him and to know Him, we will never begin to uncover His infinite riches, truth, divine attributes, kindness, mercy, grace, love, and much more.
Jesus says: “IF YOU LOVE ME, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) The self-reliant legalist is quick to emphasize the keeping of His commands but that’s utterly in vain if we have not love for Him! Read Jesus’ words again and look closely at what comes first which indicates divine priority – “IF YOU LOVE ME, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) You see, it’s only “IF” we “LOVE” Him that He is interested in our obedience. Obedience to what Christ commanded is of no value to God if we don’t sincerely love Him.
Perhaps our prayer should begin with “Father, You are love. Help me to love You more! Jesus, You must increase but I must decrease! I beg You now to break me LORD!”
EVERY single human being loves someone supremely. For most who claim to know Jesus, they love self more than the Savior (2 Timothy 3:1-7). Token obedience out of guilt doesn’t please God.
One disciple notes: “If I start the day without seeking Him first, getting His agenda for me, I’m serving the god of self. Who I give my first waking moments to shows who is Lord of my life. If I’m happily married, and in love, the first thing I wish to do when I wake is to say good morning to my love…. Shouldn’t it be this way with JESUS our divine Husband? Shouldn’t my love for the One who bled to redeem me burn hotter than any other earthly love?”
When Jesus compared Mary and Martha, which one did He say pleased Him most?
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Note that Jesus here said that the “good part” Mary chose “shall not be taken away from her.” Now, recall with me how Paul taught that love is eternal whereas gifts are not (1 Corinthians 13).
“Charity: the Righteousness of God in action in one’s life.” Gary Nygard
Obeying God does not earn your justification – it’s an expression of your love for Him! Read Romans 3:23-25; 4:4-5 and Titus 3:5-7 repeatedly, pouring prayerfully over these precious passages.
Yes it’s true that those living in sin are hell bound for there is no excuse for sin – because the LORD is “Holy, holy, holy.” (Isaiah 6:3; Romans 6:1-2; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Revelation 4:8, etc.). Yet we must not lead people to believe that we are saved by our own works or obedience but rather by CHRIST HIMSELF (Ephesians 2:8-10). Good works is the fruit of knowing and abiding in Christ and yet they don’t save us – CHRIST does! (John 15)
Isaiah De Castro writes: “We are saved by the work of Jesus Christ and not our own works. This is true, but we must honor His works and sacrifices by obeying His words and living in His holiness and righteousness. Anyone who is not living in the godliness and righteousness of God (Words of God) is a fake receiver of grace and ‘this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me’ (Matthew 15:8).”
Obedience is the FRUIT that proves we know and love Him and are in an abiding relationship with Christ. It’s always going to be resident in every one of God’s true children and yet fruit doesn’t save, only JESUS can do that! (John 15)
God’s people are justified by CHRIST Himself, saved perfectly…. And our good works which He commanded, are the fruit of that relationship with Jesus and not what saves us! John 15
Heartfelt Willingness Must Precede Obedience
You know, when His people were backslidden, the LORD told them to “Come ….. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” (Isaiah 1:18-20) Note the order here: Firstly and foremost important to God is that His people be “willing.” Note the order and how “willing” comes before “obedient.” God is only interested in our obedience if and as our hearts are “willing” or desiring Him.
1. “willing”
- “obedient”
YOU ARE UNCONTIONALLY LOVED – NOT UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED!!!
“Your Work of Faith, and Labour of love”
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Our work for Christ must emanate from our “faith” toward Him and our “love” will bear the fruit of “labour” for His glory. You may wish to really grab on to this divinely-inspired phrase – “work of faith, and labour of love.”
The bottom line is that Jesus is not at all interested in you trying to serve and please Him IF YOU DON’T LOVE HIM. Of course, you must repent in order to be His son/daughter to begin with (Luke 13:3, 5). And, repentance is putting your full trust in Him and the beginning of loving Him. The LORD looks upon and wants your heart. – “Rend your heart, and not your garments.” (Joel 2:13)
I believe we can behold this important priority throughout our LORD’s Word and Joel 2 is not exception.
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart (internal), and not your garments (external things), and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.” Joel 2:12-16
In Matthew 9:13 Jesus told us to go and learn something:
“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13
Christ foretold that in the last days, the love of many would wax cold – toward Him and consequently, His beloved people.
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end (truly loving Him supremely), the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:10-13
Jesus here says that the love for God among those who once knew Him is fading and waxing cold whereas it was once hot. Is this not exactly what happened to the Ephesians and the Laodiceans? (Revelation 2:4-5; 3:15-16). It’s those who are choosing daily to love God above their selves who are longing to be with their glorious Savior. Their love for the LORD waxes hotter daily as they look expectantly and eagerly for His soon return.
Commanded to Love
IF we truly love Him, we will obey Him. Yet, trying to obey Him without loving Him in order to get Him to love us or please Him, is futile.
Many are getting caught up in law keeping type obedience. Many times we hear the fleshly command to “keep Torah.” BUT what did Jesus sum it all up as? Many can be heard saying “Stop Sinning” and “Go and sin no more.” Jesus said the latter but not before He forgave the woman He told that to. Redemption comes before obedience and overcoming (John 8:1-11; 1 John 5:4-5).
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
And just WHY are we privileged to return love to the LORD? – “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
“His Commandments are not Grievous”
Those who love the LORD desire and rejoice to obey Him. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3) Now, go read this passage – begin reading in 1 John 5:1. Notice that it’s only when we are not submitted to, that is, abiding intimately in, Christ that His commands would be “grievous” to us. Otherwise, our obedience to Him is a labor of love. Do you remember how much Jacob loved Rachel? That was his baby wasn’t it? Look what Scripture reveals about that relationship – “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” (Genesis 29:20)
Don’t you just love that verse? – “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” (Genesis 29:20)
Rachel was a labor of love for Jacob. He didn’t mind working for her because he loved her. Spending those years to be with Rachel was not “grievous” to Jacob because he loved Rachel.
“Anathema Maranatha”
Are you saying “Come Lord Jesus” with those who truly love Him, or, are are you cursed?
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ…”
“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” 1 Corinthians 16:22
Of this verse, the late Donald Stamps notes:
“ANATHEMA. Paul ends the Corinthian letter by reminding all professing believers that to claim to be believers, yet to “love not the Lord,’ is to be ‘Anathema’ (i.e., accursed, doomed). To ‘love not the Lord’ means to fail to have a heartfelt love toward Him, to not obey Him (John 14:21), and to distort the apostolic gospel of N.T. revelation. To be accursed means being excluded from the true spiritual church on earth and finally from the heavenly kingdom of the age to come. Paul wants his readers to understand that the ultimate test of Christian discipleship is a personal, heartfelt loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 10:9).”
The last word in this verse is “Maranatha” which means “Come Lord.” And this is the heart cry of all who are His blessed remnant! Their hearts are looking for Him and they “love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9:28) Jesus will soon return for “all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)
As things continue to get darker and the hearts of men more murderous and antichrist, we must rejoice and reflect upon the words of Jesus when He told us: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
It is of the utmost important that we choose to love and to continue to learn to love and obey our LORD Jesus Christ who bled to save us to the Father.
Friend, are you truly loving God first and foremost? Is Jesus truly first in your daily, personal life? Does the LORD come before YOU? Are you dying so He can live? Do you arise in the mornings to seek His holy face in prayer and reading His Word?
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Abiding
“If God be For Us Who can be Against Us?” [podcast]

WHO is God truly “with”?
“And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and IF YE SEEK HIM, he will be found of you; but IF ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” 2 Chronicles 15:2
What happens when one of His children deny Him?
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13
Those who reject Him shall be rejected by Him. OSAS/eternal security is a fairy tale espoused by the moral cowards who refuse to serve God on HIS stated terms – repentance, faith, true worship, obedience, holiness, the crucified life, etc.
“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” Matthew 10:14-15
Persecution and the Disciple of Jesus
1 Peter 4
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Suffering as a Christian
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”
Romans 8
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“Romans 8:29: For whom he did foreknow, etc. – “In this and the following verse the apostle shows how our calling is an argument that all things work together to advance our eternal happiness, by showing the several steps which the wisdom and goodness of God have settled, in order to complete our salvation. In order to this he first gives us, in this verse, the foundation and finishing, or the beginning and end, of the scheme of our redemption: For whom God did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. To foreknow, here signifies to design before, or at the first forming of the scheme; to bestow the favor and privilege of being God’s people upon any set of men, Rom_11:2. This is the foundation or first step of our salvation; namely, the purpose and grace of God, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began, 2Ti_1:9. Then, he knew or favored us; for in this sense the word to know is taken in a great variety of places, both in the Old and New Testaments. And as he knew the Gentiles then, when the scheme was laid, and before any part of it was executed, consequently, in reference to the execution of this scheme, he foreknew us. This is the first step of our salvation, and the end or finishing of it is our conformity to the Son of God in eternal glory, Rom_8:17, which includes and supposes our moral conformity to him. When God knew us, at the forming of the Gospel scheme; or, when he intended to bestow on us the privilege of being his people; he then destinated or designed us to be conformed to the image of his Son; and, as he destinated or determined us then to this very high honor and happiness, he pre-destinated, fore-ordained, or pre-determined us to it. Thus we are to understand the foundation and finishing of the scheme of our salvation. The foundation is the foreknowledge, or gracious purpose of God; the finishing is our being joint heirs with Christ. Now, our calling or invitation (see on Rom_8:28 (note)) stands in connection with both these.” Adam Clarke
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Apostasy
The Book of Jude Narrated [podcast]

The Book of Jude:
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
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Abiding
The Song of Moses: God’s Favor upon His People [podcast]

“And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.” Deuteronomy 31:30
Everything we read of the children of Israel was pointing to Christ and to His perfect salvation He would later come and accomplish and bestow upon His beloved people, the body of Christ which is “the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16) And so this song is written to us (Romans 15:4; Corinthians 10:11).
At the end of his days, at the end of the 5 books he penned, God gives us through Moses a summation of His salvation work among His beloved people.
“He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: 12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. 13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; 14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.” Deuteronomy 32:10-14
“32:10-14 The birth and childhood of the nation of Israel are described in verse 10. After the Exodus from Egypt, God guided, instructed, and preserved His people with the love of a mother eagle (v. 11). There was no foreign god who had a part in Israel’s preservation. Why then should the nation turn to idolatry and ascribe the goodness of Jehovah to another? Beginning in verse 13, the song is prophetic. He brought them into the blessings of the Promised Land.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
“Deuteronomy 32:10
a [He found him in a desert land …] The sevenfold preservation of Israel:
1. God found (literally, sustained) him in the wilderness (Deu_32:10).
2. He led him around (Deu_32:10-12).
3. He instructed him (Deu_32:10).
4. He kept him as the apple (pupil) of His eye.
5. He preserved him from idolatry (Deu_32:12).
6. He exalted him among the nations (Deu_32:13).
7. He gave him material prosperity (Deu_32:13-14).
b [apple of his eye] Hebrew: ’iyshown (H380), the dark pupil of the eye; the hole, gate, or door of the eye (Psa_17:8; Pro_7:2)” Dake
“Deuteronomy 31:30-32:14
MOSES’ SONG: THE LORD’S FAVOR UPON ISRAEL
The song of Moses, like the fabled song of the swan, was his last and sweetest. It is probably the noblest ode in the whole compass of the Bible, and is the source from which subsequent singers derived suggestions for their noblest outbursts. The marginal references prove how deeply it dyed the national sentiment.
It excels in the names and designations of the Almighty. He is the Rock: Deu_31:4; Deu_31:15; Deu_31:18; Deu_31:30; Jehovah: Deu_31:6; Father: Deu_31:6; the Most High: Deu_31:8; God: El, the strong, Deu_31:15, etc. What a study are the names of God, scattered through the Bible! Each was coined to meet some need of the human soul. What the rocks of the desert are to its shifting sands God is amid the changes of this mortal existence.
This earlier part of the song is very tender. We are God’s portion; the apple of His eye; as young eaglets, whom the mother-bird is carefully teaching to fly, the favored recipients of God’s richest gifts, Deu_31:13, etc.” FB Meyer
Notice the descriptive language, the metaphors—how the LORD illustrates how He loves, protects, and provides for His people. In Scripture, the LORD uses imagery to communicate truth.
“Moses’ song and what our LORD reveals in this message, is such a beautiful picture of God finding us in our hopeless, miserable, and lost state. He pulls us out of the miry clay and gives us His supply of grace. He then clothes us with His righteousness, seating us in heavenly places in Christ and surrounding us with His care and protection. God’s love and goodness to us.” Karen Cochran
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will
say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my
God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome
pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall
be thy shield and buckler.” Psalms 91:1-4
Read Psalm 91 often so this truth permeates you. Here the LORD uses the imagery of His “winged fowl” creation (Genesis 1:21). GOD made this very creature/bird for the express purpose of showing us how much He loves us and how He comforts, cares and provides for, guides, and protects His own (Psalms 91:1).
“The Song of Moses is recorded in Deuteronomy 32 of the King James Version (KJV), spanning verses 1 through 43. It is a prophetic poem given by Moses to the children of Israel just before his death, serving as a witness and a reminder of God’s faithfulness and Israel’s potential turning away.”
Prayer: Father, please grant that I know and understand You more and more. I love You LORD. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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