John 15:9-10 (NET) “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
Bala walked into the office at an unexpected time. He was not pleased with the things he overheard some of his colleagues saying about him. At this point, he knew that they were not his friends, and some of them were outright enemies who were envious of him. His most shocking surprise was that Henry, his supposed friend, was the most outspoken.
He got home and told his wife the horrible things he heard Henry and the others saying about him. His wife was so angry because Henry was supposed to be his friend and confidant, but this revelation revealed that he was an enemy disguised as a friend.
The next time Bala and his wife were praying together, his wife was surprised that just as before, Bala raised a prayer request for Henry and his barren wife. She refused to pray for Henry and wondered why her husband would still pray for such a backstabbing friend.
Bala responded and said, “dear, we have to obey the commandments of Christ and pray for people like Henry if we don’t want to become like them”.
Bala was willing to sincerely pray for Henry because the Lord had commanded us to pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us(Matthew 5:44). If we must abide in God’s love, we must obey the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In today’s Bible verse, why would the Lord tell His disciples to obey His commandments even though they were devout Jews who already obeyed the laws of the Old Testament? It is because the Lord had given them commandments that they could not find in the book of the law. One such is that we should pray for those who despitefully use us.
Believers are not under the old Testament laws, but are under the law of Christ(1 Corinthians 9:21, Galatians 6:2). The law of Christ is what Christ and His apostles taught the church. Many of the old Testament laws were reiterated and taught to the church by the Lord and His apostles, but many were not. For example, laws about Animal sacrifice, observing physical circumcision, nor the seventh day Sabbath, were not taught to the church, nor are they part of the Law of Christ.
Go into today remembering that if you must remain in the love of God, it is expedient that you obey the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.
— Abraham Damilola Arigi
Yearly Plan: John 19-21 (In Today’s Audio)
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