Unsure if obedience is out of Love for Jesus or the act itself.

[Blaise N]

Hey everyone!

It’s been a bit since I’ve been on this sub forum,I’ve had my ups and downs,but today I need some help understanding something that’s starting to worry me.

So As a Christian,I am very serious about obedience,I show kindness and manners to everyone because I want to,I have integrity because it’s the right thing to do and I want to.But I’ve seen multiple sources say obedience is out of love for Jesus,Everytime(which isn’t rarely) but I should say in my life,which I obey the Lord;I don’t feel like I obey out of love but because I want to,and I’m worried it isn’t Godly obedience since it feels like it isn’t motivated by love for Jesus.Do I love Jesus?,absolutely,but I can’t figure this loophole out

 

[Soyeong]

The way to love the nature of God is by acting in accordance with aspects of God's nature, which is why there are many verses in both the OT and the NT that connect our love for God with our obedience to His commands. So for example, the way to love that God is holy, righteous, and good is by acting in accordance with His holiness, righteousness, and goodness in obedience to God's commands, so everything that God chose to command was specifically commanded in order to teach us how to love a different aspect of who He is. In Hebrews 1:3, the Son is the exact image of God's nature, so the way to love Jesus is also by acting in accordance with his nature in accordance with the example that he set for us to follow. So if you want to show kindness because Jesus is the exact image of kindness among other aspects of God's nature, then you are obeying out of your love for him.

 

[eleos1954]

Hey everyone!

It’s been a bit since I’ve been on this sub forum,I’ve had my ups and downs,but today I need some help understanding something that’s starting to worry me.

So As a Christian,I am very serious about obedience,I show kindness and manners to everyone because I want to,I have integrity because it’s the right thing to do and I want to.But I’ve seen multiple sources say obedience is out of love for Jesus,Everytime(which isn’t rarely) but I should say in my life,which I obey the Lord;I don’t feel like I obey out of love but because I want to,and I’m worried it isn’t Godly obedience since it feels like it isn’t motivated by love for Jesus.Do I love Jesus?,absolutely,but I can’t figure this loophole out

But I’ve seen multiple sources say obedience is out of love for Jesus,

This is true.

Do I love Jesus?,absolutely,but I can’t figure this loophole out

You absolutely love Jesus .... so when you are able to overcome sin .... praise Him

It's not a loophole .... if the motivation is love there's no problem there .... if the motivation is "works" .... then there is a problem.

You absolutely love Jesus .... love is the motive .... then no need to worry about it.

loop hole definition - an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules.

There is not ambiguity or inadequacy in Gods law .... they are perfect .... we are not .... but we are to persevere and do so out of love.

Praise the Lord when He helps us overcome sin.

 

[Blaise N]

This is true.


You absolutely love Jesus .... so when you are able to overcome sin .... praise Him

It's not a loophole .... if the motivation is love there's no problem there .... if the motivation is "works" .... then there is a problem.

You absolutely love Jesus .... love is the motive .... then no need to worry about it.

loop hole definition - an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules.

There is not ambiguity or inadequacy in Gods law .... they are perfect .... we are not .... but we are to persevere and do so out of love.

Praise the Lord when He helps us overcome sin.

Hey Eleos!

I appreciate your help.I wanted to add I obey Jesus because I don’t want my relationship with him hindered,I at the current moment have a lot of worry because I cannot feel love that motivates obedience.I obey Jesus because it’s what he calls us to do.But it’s hard to determine since I obey if it’s motivated by love.

 

[eleos1954]

Hey Eleos!

I appreciate your help.I wanted to add I obey Jesus because I don’t want my relationship with him hindered,I at the current moment have a lot of worry because I cannot feel love that motivates obedience.I obey Jesus because it’s what he calls us to do.But it’s hard to determine since I obey if it’s motivated by love.

well ... the way God loves is not an emotion .... it's a principle ... ie ... putting others before self .... that is not to say that God doesn't have emotions .... because He does .... but just like we can't truly feel someone else's emotions .... nor can we feel God's emotions .... I believe He can and does feel our emotions ... but not the other way around .... so we are to rest in the knowledge that He does something we are not capable of and rest in that. Nobody understands us more than Jesus .... even ourself.

Our feelings can be wrong ... and often are ....

He is long suffering .... He suffers along with us and knowing that gives me great comfort and I don't worry about it.

Obedience .... the question for each of us to ask ourselves is .... how is my life trending? More so toward sin ... or ... away from it.

We will always stumble here and there and He knows this .... but Jesus is always there to help us begin a new ... and to help us move closer to Him.

May you rest in Him, He knows your heart. Amen.

 

[Soyeong]

Hey Eleos!

I appreciate your help.I wanted to add I obey Jesus because I don’t want my relationship with him hindered,I at the current moment have a lot of worry because I cannot feel love that motivates obedience.I obey Jesus because it’s what he calls us to do.But it’s hard to determine since I obey if it’s motivated by love.

The greatest two commandments are not commands to always feel a certain way, but to always act in a certain way regardless of how we feel. For example, a parent might not always feel love towards their children, but they can still choose to act in a way that expresses their love by seeking the good of their children. Feelings come and go like gas, so the way that you act in love towards Jesus is what is important, not the way that you feel towards him.

 

[Daviboy]

I'm in the exact situation. It's hard to understand why God doesn't leteveryone who wants to have a love for Him actually have a love for Him. How many time do we hear people complaining about not being able to love God, or at least not as much as they wish they did ? Why God doesn't grant that wish to everyone ? Wanting to love God, it seems to me you can't have a more decent wish than that, so I don't understand why God let so many people struggling with that.

 

[IoanC]

In relation to God, love is not necessarily a feeling, but a subtle reality. Those who hate God, love sin. Those who love God, do so because they "fear" what He is, which is a virtue. Some believe they have to work to be saved, while others think that works are not necessary, only love is.
God is more concerned with what we do, not what we feel. So, if we choose works doesn't mean we are automatically saved. That subtle reality that concerns God is about works being for Him,not our own benefit/security. God has to actually measure our effort and only He knows how to do it--what is sufficient effort for Him.

 

[Mari17]

I agree with others on here who say that love is primarily an action. Feelings are wonderful to have, but we can't always manufacture them. What we can do is choose to love God by praising Him, spending time with Him, and doing the things He commands (such as loving others). Doing these things WITHOUT feelings is possibly even more of an act of faith and love than doing them just because we feel like we want to! And I think that often, feelings eventually follow our actions. I find this kind of freeing, because it means we CHOOSE how we want to live our lives, and we can choose to decide the actions that make up our days and our lives, rather than being a slave to our feelings and moods!

 

[seeking.IAM]

Obedience is obedience. I think you are working too hard when you try to dissect motivations further. When you go to a store, it doesn't matter if you took the freeway, a toll road, or a back road. You're still at the store and can do what you are supposed to do there. Rejoice in your obedience. Rejoice in loving Jesus. Don't trouble yourself with trying to figure it all out.

Consider the calling of the disciples. One day they are going about their business fishing, and this Jesus fellow shows up and says follow me and I will make you fishers of men. They did. That's obedience. Did they do it out of love for Jesus? Curosity? Being compelled by a mystery they didn't understand? I think it is doubtful they obeyed out of loving Jesus - there is no indication they knew him long enough or enough about him to develop any affection. I doubt they understood why they dropped their nets to follow him, but they did. The first step of discipleship is obedience.

It you decide to live a Christian life, the first step is obedience. You don't really need much understanding beyond that. You've checked the box of obedience, it sounds like. Rest easy.