Obeying Out Of Love
The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart.
1 Timothy 1:5
The keeping of a commandment should flow from a heart of love. It’s possible to obey the law out of fear and to be afraid of God’s punishment. But when you do that, you don’t really obey the law in the fullest sense because fear is not the biblical motive for obedience. Fear will restrain you from some evil and its effect can be somewhat productive, but its result is incomplete.
Some keep the law out of self–interest. They believe that if they live a moral life, God will repay them. But that is not a pure motive for obedience—it’s a selfish one. Although you may restrain yourself from evil and do good things outwardly, you won’t have an obedience that comes from an attitude of love. The true intention of the law is to cultivate love from the heart. That’s how the law is fulfilled.
MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 293). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.
Lessons Learned: Biblical obedience comes from the heart. It flows from an attitude of love which is heartfelt. Obedience which come entirely from fear of punishment, or from a self-serving belief that one can earn favor from God by compliance, is not honoring to God. It may produce an outward appearance of righteousness, but without true obedience which comes from heartfelt love, it cannot please or honor God.
Applications: Obedience to God's law is intended to produce love. The kind of love which comes from a clean heart, a clear conscience, and honest faith. The law itself is not meant for the righteous, but for the ungodly and sinful (1 Tim 1:9). It is meant to show them their sinfulness. But in those who already recognize their sins and have confessed and repented of them, obedience to the law flows freely from their hearts. Maintain spiritual purity by studying right doctrine, so that God's truth will cleanse your heart and produce a pure, biblical obedience and love.
Prayer Subjects: Pray for a desire to maintain spiritual purity through the study of sound doctrine. Pray for the heart cleansing which comes from knowing God's truth and obeying God's law. Pray for biblical obedience which is heartfelt and pure.
Listen to this entry
1 Timothy 1:5
The keeping of a commandment should flow from a heart of love. It’s possible to obey the law out of fear and to be afraid of God’s punishment. But when you do that, you don’t really obey the law in the fullest sense because fear is not the biblical motive for obedience. Fear will restrain you from some evil and its effect can be somewhat productive, but its result is incomplete.
Some keep the law out of self–interest. They believe that if they live a moral life, God will repay them. But that is not a pure motive for obedience—it’s a selfish one. Although you may restrain yourself from evil and do good things outwardly, you won’t have an obedience that comes from an attitude of love. The true intention of the law is to cultivate love from the heart. That’s how the law is fulfilled.
MacArthur, J. (2001). Truth for today : A daily touch of God's grace (Page 293). Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman.
Lessons Learned: Biblical obedience comes from the heart. It flows from an attitude of love which is heartfelt. Obedience which come entirely from fear of punishment, or from a self-serving belief that one can earn favor from God by compliance, is not honoring to God. It may produce an outward appearance of righteousness, but without true obedience which comes from heartfelt love, it cannot please or honor God.
Applications: Obedience to God's law is intended to produce love. The kind of love which comes from a clean heart, a clear conscience, and honest faith. The law itself is not meant for the righteous, but for the ungodly and sinful (1 Tim 1:9). It is meant to show them their sinfulness. But in those who already recognize their sins and have confessed and repented of them, obedience to the law flows freely from their hearts. Maintain spiritual purity by studying right doctrine, so that God's truth will cleanse your heart and produce a pure, biblical obedience and love.
Prayer Subjects: Pray for a desire to maintain spiritual purity through the study of sound doctrine. Pray for the heart cleansing which comes from knowing God's truth and obeying God's law. Pray for biblical obedience which is heartfelt and pure.
Listen to this entry
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