“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9

Obedience causes closeness. The entirety of John 15 repeats the call to ‘remain’ or ‘abide’ with Jesus. Because He is the vine and we are the branches, it is only through closeness to Him that we bear fruit. By obedience, by remaining in His love, we naturally become fruitful and His goodness is seen in us and through us. This is how we see that obedience leads to fruitfulness, not limitations and a long list of ‘dont’s.

Some of Jesus’ list of ‘to do’s’ are:

• Repent (Matthew 4:27);
• Come and follow Me (Matthew 4:19);
• Rejoice when you're persecuted in My name (Matthew 5:11–12);
• Let your light shine before all people (Matthew 5:16);
• Be reconciled to one another (Matthew 5:23–24)

God’s desire for us is to be fruitful, to live a life abundant with His presence. Obedience, then, means more than refraining from sin. It means consistently drawing near to Him and relying on Him to supply our needs, aware of our dependence on Him for a life that glorifies Him.

Ponder:
What ‘dont’s come to mind when you think about obedience?
For each one, consider an alternative that is permissive, instead of prohibitive.
For example, ‘don’t lie’ could become ‘speak the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15.)

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, how gracious is Your love for me. Your mercy goes on and on forever. Lord, I want to live in a way that demonstrates my love - not because it earns me favour but simply because I love You. Jesus, You did everything so that I could enter the throne room of heaven and abide with You. While I am alive, help me to live according to Your commands to love others, to love You with all my heart, with all my mind and with all my strength. You didn’t save me so that I could live restricted to a list of rules. You came that I may have life, and life more abundant. Help me to see the freedom of obeying Your word and rejoice in following Your commands, since I know they are for my good. Forgive me for all the times I go astray and return me to the path that leads to You. I give You my life anew today, Lord, and pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.