Introduction:
Have you ever heard the whisper of these self-condemning statements in your mind?:
“I’ll never be good enough!”
“I can’t live up to the standard God requires, so why even try?”
“I’m human. I’m not perfect. That means I’m going to sin every day for the rest of my life.”
Here’s the thing. There is a grain of truth in every one of these. We can never be good enough. That is one of the main reasons Jesus came to earth and suffered and died, because we cannot be good enough to earn God’s grace. The great news is, grace, by its very definition has nothing to do with how we perform. God’s grace is unmerited. That means we cannot earn it, so we can never do anything that will separate us from the love of God. He loves us, in spite of who we are and what we have done or what we do.
Absent of God’s provision, we cannot live to His standard. “Trying” is self-defeating. Here is some more great news. God is not interested in us trying to please Him. He is not interested in us trying to do our duty or trying to not disappoint Him. He provides all things necessary for life and godliness. He has given us His Holy Spirit. Remember, that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. That power lives within us. That strength lives within us. When we recognize that, our trying can fall away and we will start trusting in what He has so graciously provided for us.
None of us are perfect. Jesus was the only human being who lived a perfect, sinless life. He alone was perfectly obedient. He alone became the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, whose blood was shed for our forgiveness. Again, this is all wrapped up in the unfailing, eternal grace of God. That same grace abides within us through His Holy Spirit. It has taken up residence and is cleaning house, perfecting us in holiness so that we can grow and see the reality that God has “predestined us to conformity to the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29). That’s great news.
Study One: Do you love Jesus?
READ:
Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love Me will keep My word…Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.’ – John 14:23, 24 (NRSV)
DECIDE:
It is no accident that Jesus stated clearly that the greatest commandments are to love God with everything we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Priority number one for every person who walks with Jesus (what we label Christians) is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That’s everything. That’s what matters most. AND, that’s why we obey. If we obey because we’re afraid of punishment, we are slaves. If we obey because it is our duty, we are slaves. If we obey because we love Him, we are His children. In Romans 8:15-16, Paul declares, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” I think it’s time for us to decide to act like what we are, God’s children, adopted and empowered by His grace to love Him and our neighbor. That is obedience, plain and simple.
DECLARE:
Lord, God, I am no longer a slave to sin, given to hatred and fear. I am Your child! I was plucked out of the darkness and adopted in order to live a life defined by my love for You, God, and my neighbor, even those who are my enemies, who would hate and persecute me. That means, Lord, you have given me a spirit of power to accomplish Your Will, to keep Your word, and be conformed to the image of Your Son, Jesus. I believe it is possible, Lord. Now, filled with Your grace and truth, empower me to do it!
DEVOTE:
How do we show love to our family and friends?
How does God show His love for us?
How do we show our love for God?
PRAY:
God, our Father, You have shown us Your love in so many ways. Your word tells us that You showed us Your love when we were sinners and Your enemies by Jesus coming and dying for us. Thank you, Lord, for showing us that kind of love. Continue to reveal Yourself to us in Your word, causing us to love You more and more. Show us the ways, Lord, every day, we show our love for You by obeying Your word. Help us to love You and our neighbor. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
Study Two: Are you listening?
READ:
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. -James 1:22 (NRSV)
DECIDE:
We are surrounded by noise and information. It can become overwhelming, at times, creating in us a desire to retreat from the everyday and familiar flow to find some measure of rest. We like to call that vacation. But, even then, we tend to create or seek environments that are filled with more noise and information. This tunes us to have the ability to become selective hearers. As a husband and father, I’m a professional at that. At times, I hear my wife and children, but I am not really listening. How about you?
As believers, we can also fall into the habit of hearing but not really listening. We go to church, bible study, youth group, children’s church, read the bible and other “spiritual” books, we listen to Christian music, and watch Christian programming on television. While there is nothing wrong or evil in any of these activities, we tend to give ourselves credit for just showing up. Another item on the believer’s to-do list is checked and we are satisfied. James would classify us as those who are “deceived.” We’re simply hearers. We’re unaffected and ignorant, because we’re not listening.
There’s a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is just the perception of sound. It does not require we engage our reasoning or think. It is the biological process that means sound waves hit our ear drums and our brain perceives the vibrations as sound. Listening means we actually interpret and engage the sounds we hear. We hear the distant call of a song-bird and we begin to interpret that sound as coming from a blue-jay, defending against another jay coming into their territory to steal their food.
God intends for us to be listeners. In fact, He expects us to be active listeners. That means we do not just perceive and interpret what He is saying through His word, but we also do something with it. That can be hard. In fact, James says those who are “doers who act” on the perfect law of liberty “persevere.” Motivated by their love for God, they put into action what they have learned by listening.
DECLARE:
God, Your word declares that you have loved me from the foundation of the world, and even before. You knew me before I was formed in my mothers womb. You declare me to be fearfully and wonderfully made. I am Your child, freed from the bondage of my sin to live for Your glory and honor. I love you! I choose, today, to listen to Your word and obey. I am Yours and You are mine. I am adopted into Your family and want to honor You with the secret thoughts of my mind. the words of my mouth, and the works of my hands, eager to see myself molded into the image of Your Son, Jesus!
DEVOTE:
What are some things that can motivate us to obey God? (fear, duty, obligation [ultimately, you want to circle back that our motive should mature into a deep love for God, as His child])
Who is the source of our strength to obey, when it seems all things are against us? (The Holy Spirit, that spirit of adoption, gives us the strength to persevere)
PRAY:
Lord, I realize you have created me to do good works in Christ Jesus. Help me to remember to be an obedient child, not a deceived and forgetful hearer. I want to tune in and listen to You, actively seeking to love You more and become more like You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, given as a gift to all believers, who convicts, teaches, empowers, and inspires. May Your Spirit of truth guide me into all truth and conform me to the image of Your Son. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.