What Does It Really Mean?

Although you might not guess it by looking at me, I do work out on a pretty consistent basis - Running long distance (I can hit 5 miles on most days) at a steady pace; running short distances at a more intense pace; lifting weights and doing some workouts on an x-box disc.  The reason it doesn’t show is because I often still eat too much.

But when I do exercise, I try to exercise to a point of near exhaustion.  Sometimes I just come in from a run and lay on the floor.  When I lift weights, I lift in my basement and when I’m done I’ll huff and puff and groan all the way up the steps.  And more often than not, my wife Jessie will ask, “You alright?” 

I’ve come to believe though that what she really wants to say, but doesn’t because she loves me, is “What the hell’s wrong with you?  If you’re gonna die, go do it somewhere else.”  I told her this once.  It didn’t go over so well, as you might imagine. 

Saying what you mean, and meaning what you say is pretty important to me.  Our culture values euphemism and tolerance over truth though, so that often feels like a losing battle to me.  Not something I really get worked up about too often. 

How about you?  Is authenticity and honesty important to you?  If it is, today’s reading from 1 John 5 has something vitally important to say to those of us who say that we love God.

In v.v. 3, John says this: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. “

In other words, when we say that we love God, it should actually mean something.  It should be revealed in the way that we live our lives.  John’s letters are all about the love of God for us and about how we live out our love for God.  Over and over and over again, John reminds us that the love of God actually means something beyond feelings and sentiment.  The love of God, as I talked abouthere, means that God demonstrated his love for us by sending His Son Jesus to save us from our sin; to reconcile us to our Father by adopting us into his family; and by promising us the incredible gift of eternal life in Heaven through His death and resurrection.

So when we say that we love God in return, it only makes sense that our actions would demonstrate that we love God.  I mentioned a few weeks ago in a sermon that it seems that many people, including myself more than I care to admit, don’t take obedience to God as seriously as we should.  We’re not passionate and focused on becoming like Jesus.  We’re not serious about the calling of Jesus to pursue righteousness and holiness in our personal lives and in our relationships with others.  Too often, we seek the lowest common denominator in regards to obedience to God.  We tend to be more focused on what we can get away with on our way to Heaven than we are about putting behind our past and living like sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Verse 3 continues with these words: “And his commands are not burdensome.”  I think too often we think about what we can’t do, instead of what we have the privilege of being and doing when we’re in Christ.  

It reminds me of a girl named Shawna who was in my youth ministry many years ago.  She had a pretty rough home life, and things weren’t easy for her.  During her middle school years, she was saved by Jesus and really started experiencing some incredible transformation and healing in her life.  But by the time she got to high school, she was really struggling in her walk with Jesus.  There were some kids in our youth ministry who had trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior who had never been baptized and wanted to be.  I encouraged Shawna to consider taking this step of obedience and to really go public with her faith. 

She was brutally honest with me, which made me weep for her, but which I also appreciated.  She told me that she didn’t want to make that commitment because she wasn’t ready to yet.  She wanted to smoke pot or drink when she wanted to.  She wanted the freedom to have sex with her boyfriend.  She wanted to live her life and experience all of these things.  She saw obedience to God as a burden that would rob her of her freedom to do these things.  At least she really said what she meant. 

Sadly, she was so confused.  What she though was freedom just increased the burden on her tender, bruised heart.  What she saw as a burden would really bring her freedom.  Although her story was kind of extreme, you and I are really no different when we balk at obedience to God because we see it as a burden, instead of the freedom it really is. 

V.4 says, “. . . for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”  Having victory over the sin in our lives, and overcoming temptation, is one of the greatest gifts that God gives us through Jesus.  While our struggles against sin and temptation might seem like a burden to us at the time, they are preparing us for victory and freedom. 

I love hearing victory stories of faith.  People who have overcome drug and alcohol addictions that were killing them.  Couples whose marriages have been healed and restored by Jesus.  Teenagers who battled depression and suicidal thoughts who understand the magnificent love of God for them and are walking with Him.  I could listen to and recount these stories for hours. 

But the common theme is this: these people loved God because they saw His love for them expressed in Jesus.  They realized that obedience to God born of their love for Him was not another burden in their lives, but was the path to the freedom and victory that God wants to birth in all of our hearts. 

Maybe your story isn’t quite as dramatic.  I know mine isn’t.  My struggles to be obedient to God seem mundane and even easy in light of many of the stories that I’ve been privileged to be a part of.  But when we say we love God, do we really mean it?  Is it revealed by our obedience to God’s commands as revealed in Scripture?  Is our faith merely an intellectual assent to the promises of God, or do we live as if we believe those promises? 

What does your love for God really mean for you?  Is it something that’s brought about transformation, victory and freedom in your life?  Or are you still looking for the lowest common denominator?