Love That Leads to Obedience
Love for God is not something we force upon ourselves; it is cultivated as we behold Him, know Him, and trust Him. Before obedience can become the natural outflow of love, we must first fall in love with God. It is only when our hearts are captivated by His goodness that obedience ceases to be a burden and instead becomes a joyous response.
Scripture makes it clear that we do not initiate love—God does. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Friends, when we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and fellowship, constantly being reminded of, and reflecting on God's love, which was demonstrated in Christ’s sacrifice and our resulting salvation and adoption, our hearts begin to understand God's great love for us, and we reciprocate. The more we come to know Him—His holiness, kindness, patience—the more our hearts are drawn to Him.
Trust is an essential part of love. A child clings to a loving father because they have confidence in his care. So must we learn to trust God, knowing that His ways are perfect. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). The more we surrender to His wisdom and rest in His promises, the deeper our love grows, producing a delight in Him that surpasses all earthly affections.
Thus, when love has taken root, obedience naturally follows. Jesus declared, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is not meant to be a hollow duty performed out of fear or obligation—it is the fruit of a heart that delights in the Lord. Just as a well-nourished tree bears good fruit, the believer who abides in Christ finds that obedience flows effortlessly from their love for Him. Paul reminds us that we serve “in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6). We are not driven by rigid compulsion but by the joy of pleasing the One who first loved us.
Obedience is the fruit of love, but love itself is first nurtured through beholding, knowing, trusting, and delighting in God. When we see Him clearly, love grows—and from that love, obedience flourishes.
