Believing Is Obeying

Life, Religion,

This is just a quick thought on our proclamations of our belief and love for Jesus Christ.  Believing is obeying him. Loving is obeying him. Many of us profess that we believe and love him, but it may be just words.

In one place, Jesus quoted Isaiah:

This people draweth |near| unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Matthew 15:8 KJV

And in another,

If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. John 14:15, 21 KJV

This is really no different than our expectations in relationships, right? We expect that one who truly loves us would try to do the things that affirm that love.

How do we affirm our love for Christ?  Obey his commandments. What are his commandments? Jesus was asked that too, and responded:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus just summed up the Ten Commandments (listed below) in those two commandments, which would fulfill the ten. Notice the first four commandments would be covered with loving God, and the last six with loving our neighbor.

Ten Commandments Summary

  1. You shall have no other gods before me.
  2.  You shall not make idols.
  3.  You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
  4.  Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5.  Honor your father and mother.
  6.  You shall not murder.
  7.  You shall not commit adultery.
  8.  You shall not steal.
  9.  You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  10.  You shall not covet.

The Apostle Paul pointed out the same thing, when he stresses that the only thing we owe our neighbor is love, and that fulfills the law.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hat fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to its neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 KJV

Words are easy. Let our proclamation not be just words.

11 thoughts on “Believing Is Obeying”

  1. Hi Barbara! I’m grateful to be be back reading your word and having fellowship with you.
    The way you ended your post, ” words are easy”! How many time do I come across a situation where words did seem easy…a quick thought or prayer and then, putting that out of my mind, just continue on. That situation might have called for a gentle witness follow up…to let the person we know and care and are praying for them a to offer out assistance, if needed. Very timely reminder! Thank you, Barbara!

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      1. Thank you, Barbara, so much! Making my way back slowly and hope to Erie Erie and read a few more blogs to gauge my progress! Prayers for your writing ministry!

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  2. This was a good post and it have me thinking
    I read the 10 commandments.
    Now I don’t really read the bible that often and I’m not the most holy person but I always have a question about the 4th commandment(you don’t answer just a question i think to myself)
    “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
    The seventh day is the holy day and the seventh day is a Saturday. I always ask myself, why do Christians celebrate and go to church on Sundays when Saturdays is the sabbath day?
    I always had that thought
    The seventh day is when God rested

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