Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Love, Without Fear, Producing Obedience
At GodBlogCon there was much conversation of "favorite" bloggers. When we talked of bloggers that were uplifting, when we talked of bloggers through whom the joy of the Lord showed, one name was spoken most frequently -- John Brown of Scotwise.
Given my funk in light of my recently completed jury duty, I turned to John. He did not dissappoint. This post is great. Consider these penultimate paragraphs of the post
If I feel hopeless, the best thing to do is to act on God's Word.
I remember so often as a young man when I prayed that God would hug me, that he would offer me comfort in the same way that my mother did when I was a child. But of course God can't do that. I am to have faith that He is in fact giving me such comfort and leave my pool of self pity and get busy.
Much as God has forgiven us, He HAS comforted us. We exist at that place where mom dried our tears, stood us up and told us to rejoin the world knowing that she loved us.
What a great God we worship.
Given my funk in light of my recently completed jury duty, I turned to John. He did not dissappoint. This post is great. Consider these penultimate paragraphs of the post
Our love for God is wrapped up in our obedience to Him, and His commands. If we love Him, we learn from His teachings, and then put them into practice. If our love for Him resides in us, He knows that we will share the gospel of Jesus, if we don?t, then we don?t love Him, it is as simple as that. God knows those who love Him, and is always at work in them. There are too many Christians, who are afraid and ashamed to tell others about His love, grace and mercy. So be it, but that is not the practice of those who love Him, perfect love casts out all fear!I love that formulation -- love of God results in obedience and it casts out fear. Obedience is not drudgery, it is an exercise in hope. Obedience makes hope real -- it casts out fear.
Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace. - Thomas a` Kempis.
If I feel hopeless, the best thing to do is to act on God's Word.
I remember so often as a young man when I prayed that God would hug me, that he would offer me comfort in the same way that my mother did when I was a child. But of course God can't do that. I am to have faith that He is in fact giving me such comfort and leave my pool of self pity and get busy.
Much as God has forgiven us, He HAS comforted us. We exist at that place where mom dried our tears, stood us up and told us to rejoin the world knowing that she loved us.
What a great God we worship.
