So, you're a believer? Now what? John 14:23-24

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Jesus replied, Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

A couple weeks ago, as I was making my way through the ians -- that is, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Thesslonians -- I couldn't help but notice how the theme I kept seeing that week was God's call for us to believe. Although I can't write every day, as much as I want to, I also noted that in recent posts on passages from Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians.

This week, a new theme emerged: Obey. Or, as James 1:22 puts it, do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. Readings from Titus, Hebrews and Peter all reinforced it. Then, I hit my favorite book, John, which reminds us repeatedly that if you want to follow Jesus, you need to stop doing what you want to do, and start doing what God wants you to do. "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light," John 3:20 says. Now that you are in the light, look at what you are doing (John 5:46)! The light, John tells us, overcomes the darkness and gives us life (John 1:4).

For years I have worked a night shift by necessity; that's the nature of the newspaper business. My normal work shift begins at 4 p.m. When I was a young sportswriter, my shift often ran from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Coupled with the adrenaline rush of meeting deadline every night, then eating dinner, I regularly was awake until 5 a.m. So, as I am sure you understand now, I know darkness well.

Today, even though I work nights, and even now as I try to finish this after work, I want nothing to do with darkness. Working nights is depressing. It leads to loneliness. It leads to selfishness. Once, it nearly destroyed my marriage. Working nights causes all kinds of psychological problems.

So it doesn't surprise me any more that God would be light. With God, we feel no loneliness. With God, we don't feel selfish. With God, our marriages aren't destroyed. When we are right with God, well, everything in life is just beautiful.

So, why is it that we want to avoid the light? God is shining his light into our lives, warming our souls. Why would we run away? Titus has one answer to that question: "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures" (Titus 3:3). We all stumble in our ways, James 3:2 reminds us. Because none of us are perfect. Only Christ was.

That brings me back to my opening question: So, you're a believer? Now what?

Well, let's obey Jesus ... by believing. Believing in the Son of God, living for you, redeeming you, justifying you, sanctifying you. By believing in Jesus, you will obey him. By believing in Jesus, you will love your neighbor. By believing in Jesus, well, you will be following the one true religion.: the Religion of the Gospel.

Jesus redeemed us from the religion of the Law. Praise Jesus.

If you will read his Word, and believe it, obeying him isn't so difficult.

You just have to believe.

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