I recall once observing a young instructor in an adult education class who blurted out a controversial remark during his talk. His comment was unnecessary and very ill timed. When he did this, he literally lost his class for 10 minutes. Everyone in the room stopped listening to his talk, and began talking to each other at their tables about his remark. To put this in modern terms, he triggered the entire class with his comment.
Witnessing this, reminded me that we bring our own thoughts and ideas with us when we listen to someone talk. Therefore, I want to ask you to pause for a minute and think.
What thoughts come immediately to mind when you hear Jesus say these words?
This may not be the case for you, but sometimes I wonder if these words reinforcing the idea that, God wants me to earn his approval by being good, or by obeying him. After all does not Jesus say, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him?”
While I do not believe that I save myself by being good, it is also true that God still requires a response. I must offer my faith, my repentance, and my surrender to Him. Ultimately, this is about relationship. What is my identity in Christ? Is God the type of person who wants me to earn his approval by being good, or by obeying him?
I imagine many of you have found yourself motivated like this. Could you be struggling to be a good person so that you will earn God’s approval? Perhaps you have never reflected on this, but… does your identity in Christ lead you to earn God’s approval by being good? If so, what is the fruit of seeing God in this way?
If I allow myself to begin thinking this way, the motivation for being good is a certain fear or insecurity that God might reject me if I am bad. If I have experienced previous rejection or shame, then in order to avoid those feelings, I work hard to be a good person so that I will not feel anxious.
If I am not careful, I could find myself struggling to be a good person so that God will look at me and approve of me. Perhaps you have never reflected on this. Has this ever happened to you?
Thinking that God wants us to earn his acceptance, flows from a false identity in Christ. God does not want us to understand our relationship with him as being, neutral or even negative. We do not need to earn his favor before having relationship with him. The truth is exactly the opposite. “I am accepted, therefore, I obey.” We are accepted!
I obey God not to earn favor or things from God, but to get God himself, and to delight in my relationship with him as a child of God. After all God accepted me first without any merit on my part.
Even when we are in midst of failure, God loves us first. As St. Paul reminds us, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The plan of God’s love for us, reaches back to the beginning of time. Ephesians reminds us; “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will” (Ephesians 1:4–5). God is not grudgingly fulfilling his promise to love us and always on the verge of changing his mind depending on how we behave.
When God created the first man and woman in the image and likeness of God, he knew they would fall and had already planned to have Christ become the new Adam to take their place and to redeem the image of God. God’s plan of love for each one of us existed before creation itself.
He has always wanted to adopt us as his children. As Ephesians reminds us, God “destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1: 5).
This is a natural truth. In the presence of goodness, beauty and truth we spontaneously experience delight and awe. Beautiful music, beautiful art, even witnessing an amazing athletic performance spontaneously makes us praise what we see, and even causes us to want to share that feeling with others. Everything in our life that is truly good, beautiful, or true is a reflection of the goodness, beauty, or truth found in the creator.
We are not an afterthought, or some unwanted and unexpected child. We are destined, chosen, or elected like the people of God in the Old Testament. The Lord told his people in Deuteronomy, they were not chosen because they were especially good or obedient beforehand, but “because the LORD loved” them (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). They became God’s children out God’s abundant love and mercy.
When I experience relationship with God, in a certain sense I feel his pleasure. I delight in my relationship with him as a child of God. I am confident not in my own wobbly performance but in the sure fact that God accepts me without any merit on my part.
St. Paul tells us that in order to create our own family resemblance as sons and daughters of God “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Roman 5:5). The Holy Spirit is transforming and renewing us from within.
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me."
This may not be the case for you, but sometimes I wonder if these words reinforcing the idea that, God wants me to earn his approval by being good, or by obeying him. After all does not Jesus say, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him?”
While I do not believe that I save myself by being good, it is also true that God still requires a response. I must offer my faith, my repentance, and my surrender to Him. Ultimately, this is about relationship. What is my identity in Christ? Is God the type of person who wants me to earn his approval by being good, or by obeying him?
I imagine many of you have found yourself motivated like this. Could you be struggling to be a good person so that you will earn God’s approval? Perhaps you have never reflected on this, but… does your identity in Christ lead you to earn God’s approval by being good? If so, what is the fruit of seeing God in this way?
If I allow myself to begin thinking this way, the motivation for being good is a certain fear or insecurity that God might reject me if I am bad. If I have experienced previous rejection or shame, then in order to avoid those feelings, I work hard to be a good person so that I will not feel anxious.
If I am not careful, I could find myself struggling to be a good person so that God will look at me and approve of me. Perhaps you have never reflected on this. Has this ever happened to you?
Have you ever tried to earn God’s approval by being good?
If you are the kind of person who feels successful at being good, then you might say to yourself, “I obeyed God, therefore I am accepted.” It is as if you are say, “God you should accept me, because I am basically a good person.” When things are going well, we feel confident in our relationship with God. Very often, however, when we are doing well we also become proud and we lack patience with those who are struggling and seem to fail at being good.
Very few of us, however, are completely successful at being good. If we think that God accepts us only if we obey him and are good, then how do we react when we fail? How do we respond to the feelings of shame when someone corrects us? If our whole identity is tied up in being a “good person” we often either become angry or discouraged and depressed when criticized, because it attacks our identity.
If you are the kind of person who feels successful at being good, then you might say to yourself, “I obeyed God, therefore I am accepted.” It is as if you are say, “God you should accept me, because I am basically a good person.” When things are going well, we feel confident in our relationship with God. Very often, however, when we are doing well we also become proud and we lack patience with those who are struggling and seem to fail at being good.
Very few of us, however, are completely successful at being good. If we think that God accepts us only if we obey him and are good, then how do we react when we fail? How do we respond to the feelings of shame when someone corrects us? If our whole identity is tied up in being a “good person” we often either become angry or discouraged and depressed when criticized, because it attacks our identity.
1. False identity in Christ.
I obey God not to earn favor or things from God, but to get God himself, and to delight in my relationship with him as a child of God. After all God accepted me first without any merit on my part.
2. God loved us first
Even when we are in midst of failure, God loves us first. As St. Paul reminds us, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The plan of God’s love for us, reaches back to the beginning of time. Ephesians reminds us; “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will” (Ephesians 1:4–5). God is not grudgingly fulfilling his promise to love us and always on the verge of changing his mind depending on how we behave.
When God created the first man and woman in the image and likeness of God, he knew they would fall and had already planned to have Christ become the new Adam to take their place and to redeem the image of God. God’s plan of love for each one of us existed before creation itself.
He has always wanted to adopt us as his children. As Ephesians reminds us, God “destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1: 5).
3. In the presence of God, we experience delight or joy
This is a natural truth. In the presence of goodness, beauty and truth we spontaneously experience delight and awe. Beautiful music, beautiful art, even witnessing an amazing athletic performance spontaneously makes us praise what we see, and even causes us to want to share that feeling with others. Everything in our life that is truly good, beautiful, or true is a reflection of the goodness, beauty, or truth found in the creator.
We are not an afterthought, or some unwanted and unexpected child. We are destined, chosen, or elected like the people of God in the Old Testament. The Lord told his people in Deuteronomy, they were not chosen because they were especially good or obedient beforehand, but “because the LORD loved” them (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). They became God’s children out God’s abundant love and mercy.
4. In relation to obedience, the experience of God’s love, brings joy to obedience.
When I experience relationship with God, in a certain sense I feel his pleasure. I delight in my relationship with him as a child of God. I am confident not in my own wobbly performance but in the sure fact that God accepts me without any merit on my part.
St. Paul tells us that in order to create our own family resemblance as sons and daughters of God “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Roman 5:5). The Holy Spirit is transforming and renewing us from within.
Writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul reveals our new identity in Christ, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18, cf. 2 Cor 5:17).
Yet this inheritance something we need to “take possession of” (Ephesians 1:14). It requires our cooperation. We need to have the “eyes of our hearts enlightened” by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:18). We need to begin in humility, and detachment and to spend time with God in prayer.
Notice that when Jesus says,
He continues,
Jesus explains that this promised indwelling will be the Holy Spirit who will “to teach us” and “remind us” of Jesus’ way of life and will give us peace.
Our obedience is the fruit of our cooperation with an inner transformation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Our obedience is our inheritance as sons and daughters of God. It is a revelation of our family resemblance. Flowing from interior awareness of God’s love and acceptance, our obedience is an act of grateful joy. It is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Love brings joy to obedience.
Does all of this sound a bit complicated? Would it not it just be easier to tell people to obey the rules? The problem is, without understanding our identity in Christ, rules without relationship lead to anxiety, anger, pride, an ultimately to rebellion. St. Paul reminds the Galatians, “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). But love brings joy to obedience.
We must begin by saying, “I know that I am God’s child and that he loves me. Even if I sometimes fail to be “good,” it is not my performance that is identity, but my relationship with God.”
Yet, St. Paul cautions the Galatians, “Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). How do we know if we are guided by the Spirit or walking by the Spirit? By the fruit of our life (Galatians 5:22-23). As Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” The power to do this however comes through relationship with the indwelling of Spirit. As Jesus said, “we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Once again, love brings joy to obedience.
As we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in two weeks, let us open our hearts anew praying, “Come Holy Spirit! Renew the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in us the fire of your love.” Fill us with your love, so that we might experience the joy of life in you as your child. Let me rest in your love.
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C (Lectionary: 57)
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Yet this inheritance something we need to “take possession of” (Ephesians 1:14). It requires our cooperation. We need to have the “eyes of our hearts enlightened” by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:18). We need to begin in humility, and detachment and to spend time with God in prayer.
Notice that when Jesus says,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
He continues,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Jesus explains that this promised indwelling will be the Holy Spirit who will “to teach us” and “remind us” of Jesus’ way of life and will give us peace.
Our obedience is the fruit of our cooperation with an inner transformation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Our obedience is our inheritance as sons and daughters of God. It is a revelation of our family resemblance. Flowing from interior awareness of God’s love and acceptance, our obedience is an act of grateful joy. It is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Love brings joy to obedience.
Does all of this sound a bit complicated? Would it not it just be easier to tell people to obey the rules? The problem is, without understanding our identity in Christ, rules without relationship lead to anxiety, anger, pride, an ultimately to rebellion. St. Paul reminds the Galatians, “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). But love brings joy to obedience.
We must begin by saying, “I know that I am God’s child and that he loves me. Even if I sometimes fail to be “good,” it is not my performance that is identity, but my relationship with God.”
Yet, St. Paul cautions the Galatians, “Walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). How do we know if we are guided by the Spirit or walking by the Spirit? By the fruit of our life (Galatians 5:22-23). As Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” The power to do this however comes through relationship with the indwelling of Spirit. As Jesus said, “we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Once again, love brings joy to obedience.
As we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in two weeks, let us open our hearts anew praying, “Come Holy Spirit! Renew the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in us the fire of your love.” Fill us with your love, so that we might experience the joy of life in you as your child. Let me rest in your love.
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C (Lectionary: 57)
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Amazing insight. This is food for my soul. Keep ‘em coming!
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