Is it Possible to Love God and Not Obey Him?

Luke 6:46
Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord “ and do not do what I say?

Is it really possible to love God and not do what He says. I say “Yes!” I loved God very much even during my back slidden years. I remember telling God in my twenties “You know I love you but I just need to do things on my own without your laws” and so I did consciously push God aside so that I can taste “life”. Yup, nothing rewarding came out of those years, that much I can tell you – just misery, discouragements and depression.

When I finally accepted Jesus all over again in 1998, I was told that fruit of the spirit can be seen in me. Still, I don’t know that I do it. I just feel loved being in God’s presence and I could talk to Him personally every night behind closed doors. But when the kids came along and studying His word became lesser, we grew more distant, Yet, I still loved God very much but I didn’t hear His words very much except Sundays and Fridays and even that would be difficult because I taught Sunday school and looked after the kids during cell group. The opinions of the world started rubbing in and soon I really thought if I do good, I will get “good” and if I do bad I will get “beat”. I didn’t know or had forgotten that following Jesus is not about “doing” the laws and I do get confused between obedience to God and “doing” the laws. There does not seem to be any difference to me. There seemed no difference between a good Christian and an unbeliever who does much good except that we believe in Jesus and somehow by believing Jesus, we get to go to heaven. I didn’t know anything about the tabernacle and how God had spoken through many prophets of what He was going to do long before Jesus came. Heck, I didn’t even know that righteousness meant that everything is alright between God and I. If I knew I would understand that Jesus had done it all for me and that meant I would not have to feel condemned and guilty again each time I did something wrong because all that guilt and condemnation has been borne by Jesus on the cross 2000 years ago. To feel condemned and guilty again would be like persecuting Jesus all over again and that His blood meant nothing to me because how bad I felt were more important that His blood! Then at that low point we just cry out to God to forgive us and then WE try to be better persons. That is self justification. I see that happening to my friends and yet I am at a lost how to share because the similarities are so close between legalism and understanding why Jesus died for us.

But this morning while doing devotion these words sprung out from the bible “Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord “ and do not do what I say?”. At that low point in my life, I should have listened to His words of life and put it into practice so that He can pull me out of the pit. Revelation from God of the wrong things that we should right in our lives are USELESS if we just call on Him and NOT do what He says. As we lean on Him when we cry out to God, we ought to hear from Him what we should do and obey. It is only by obeying His commands that the revelation he shows us becomes alive and we receive God’s blessings.

Deuteronomy 8:6-10
6 So keep the commands of the LORD your God by walking in His ways and fearing Him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams of water, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land where you will eat food without shortage, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you will mine copper. 10 When you eat and are full, you will praise the LORD your God for the good land.

I’m beginning to understand what “walk in His ways” means. It is this kind of obedience that brings us God’s love, joy and peace into our hearts daily no matter what the situation or circumstance. And then He encourages us by blessing us and when we have eaten and are full we will praise the Lord for all He has given us! It is the Holy Spirit that guides us what we hear from Him and we are to obey His voice be it through sermons, bible reading, dreams, visions etc. So, if we do not hear from Him (sleeping or twitting/smsing in church, or reading the bible without listening), it is a sign that death has already started seeping into our lives.

We want to step into God's eternal life. Our lives depend on Jesus, this bread of heaven, His words of life. For the bread of God is Jesus who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. He is the bread of life. Jesus said "No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again. But as I told you, you've seen Me, and yet you do not believe.” I loved God so much yet I did not believe His words for my life. It’s amazing but true. It really IS possible to love God and not do what He says until we face total destruction in our relationships, our health, our emotions, our possesions etc. It is so wrong to cry out to God in our low points and then just try to “be better” by our own strength without getting into His word to hear what He says and do His way.

Father God, thank You for showing me Your word this morning that it is possible and it is wrong to love You without doing what You say. My life depends on You daily. Renew my mind O Lord as Your Spirit leads me to read Your word and what you have to say for me today. Strengthen me to do Your ways, to obey Your words little by little, Your words of life, Your life that brings me love, joy and peace and that You may bless me once again so that I may praise You and glorify You again and again. In Jesus’ name I pray.