Faith, love, and obedience

  • We see the evidence of God’s love for us (Creation, care, the sacrifice of His only Son)
  • How do we show love to God?
  • God tells us what it means to love Him.
  • John 14:15
  • In modern terms, this is God’s love language.
  • There is a direct connection between faith in God, loving God, and obeying God.
  • We show our faith and our love by obeying God and through this obedience, we become more like Him, and our faith grows.
  • II Peter 1:10-11
  • Romans 6:12-13
  • I am compelled to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). I serve God from the heart and in harmony with the truth as revealed in the gospel.
  • I Corinthians 9:27 – Disciplining our body is part of obedience.
  • We want to please God by obeying Him and worshiping Him the way He wants us to.
  • What does obedience look like?
  • II Peter 1:5 – I will try to develop these qualities in my everyday life.
    • My activities will be more virtuous.
    • I will strive for more knowledge.
    • I will develop self-control.
    • I will learn patience.
    • Godliness will be my goal.
    • I will try to show kindness to all.
    • In all things I will show a spirit of love.
  • II Peter 3:17-18
  • Hebrews 11:6
    • Note again two elements:
      • Believe that He is (faith)
      • Action (seeking Him)
    • God rewards those seeking Him and God does what He says.
    • The action (obeying Him) from faith (love of God) is diligently seeking Him (obeying Him and wanting to be like Him).
  • If we fail, we have faith that God will forgive us.
  • I Thessalonians 5:22
  • Romans 3:23
  • Romans 6:1-2, 12-13
  • I John 1:8-9
  • That should make us love Him more.