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What is your motivation for obedience?
Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people. 7 “The LORD did not love you and choose you because you outnumbered other peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth. 8 But the LORD loved you and wanted to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors. That is why he saved you by his great might and set you free from slavery to the king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 GNB
Have you ever considered that Israel was special in God’s sight before they were pure in conduct? They were first called to be set apart as a chosen people. It wasn’t based on anything they did. In fact, they were the smallest nation on Earth. The Lord demonstrated His love for them by keeping the promise He made long ago to their ancestors. Why did He save them again? Because they were good? Because they were mighty? No. Very simply, because He loved them.
They were loved before they were holy. They were saved before they obeyed. The smallest nation on Earth was adopted by a mighty and sacred Father.
The same is true for you.
If you know Jesus, then He set you apart. He chased you down and found you. He relentlessly pursued you in the dark valleys of your rebellion. He walked with you through the pigpen of your sin. He was steady and unrelenting in His love for you. He saved you and made you holy in standing before you were holy in behavior. Letting that thought sink in is simply astounding.
What is your motivation for obedience?
Do you obey because you’re supposed to? …because you were told to? Do you obey because you want God to be proud of you? Do you obey because others told you it would be best? Do you obey so you can be productive and effective? Do you obey because it just makes you feel good inside?
Or, do you obey because you are unconditionally loved?
It’s an extremely important question to think about. If we are not experiencing a love relationship with Jesus and filling the engine of our life with that fuel, we really don’t get it. It is much easier to obey when you know you are loved. You ARE loved. You don’t have to go back to your sin. You don’t have to walk in shame and disappointment. No matter how far you tried to run away from God, His love was still there. His love is still here. It’s incomprehensible.
Some will ask, how can God love me? The question itself reflects an attitude that your behavior can somehow derail God’s love for you. It can’t. It’s a conditional question directed at an unconditional Savior who has already demonstrated His response to human rebellion. He died for you, raising to life to conquer your sin and your death.
So, I ask one last time… what is your motivation for obedience?