Happy Sunday! I hope everything is going well for you, and look! You made it to the end of the week! So thank you for coming back, and if you're new, welcome to Love, Lian! Last week I shared that I was considering sharing what the Lord reveals to me in real time through His word each Sunday. I prayed on it for a bit, and I'm feeling His support to take this leap. Each Sunday, we'll highlight ways and topics that'll strengthen our faith. Even if it reaches a few people, I think that's nothing short of amazing! So thank you so much for your continued support, and if you feel so led, be sure to share!
So today we're talking obedience. I've gotten to enjoy learning about obedience firsthand; both in my life and how it looks in the lives of those in the Bible.
Obedience in rebellion may sound like an oxymoron, but just hear me out. I've been reading the book of Acts lately and the theme of obedience has just been jumping out at me like a blinking sign.
So obedience to what exactly?
That may be the question you're thinking at the moment. Or you may be wondering how to. If you fall back a few weeks ago, we spoke about what conviction is and how it is the direct result of having God walk with you in your day to day life. Like how Jesus promised us a Helper known as the Holy Spirit in John 14:26 ESV to dwell within us before He departed from the world? Yeah that one.
**I want to sidebar momentarily. I believe now is good time to insert that I personally do believe in the Trinity Godhead. That The Father, Son, and Spirit are God, three in one with differing assignments. I look at it as God's role being the anointeR, the Holy Spirit is the anoinTING, and Jesus is the anointED. I'll go into this a little more in depth one day but I'll link an article at the end in case you want to better understand this concept because it can definitely get confusing!
So how does the Spirit move exactly? What is He doing or saying to help us stay close with God besides just convicting us? Well in John 16:13 ESV it is said:
"But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come."
The promised Helper given to us when we accept a deep, loving relationship with the Father is quite literally God's presence dwelling within us. What this verse is saying is that while Jesus is no longer physically walking this Earth with us, we have His presence in our hearts. This presence does not speak on His own authority because His role is to aid God's will; for us, for Him, and for the world. So kind of think of this relationship as a 1980's TV show where the characters on a phone call.
That phone cord is His Spirit connecting us purely to what it is God has to say. Reminding us of what His word says and pushing us to be more like Him, applicable to our everyday lives. Without that phone, we're not hearing much of anything.
Stay with me. In a relationship with God, there's so many layers to it that make it so good. We have in Him a friend, a counselor, a provider, a protector, a comforter, a redeemer, and so much more. He loves us so much that he would send His son to die for us, knowing that even then, all of us, to which He loves so dearly, still wouldn't want a relationship with Him. But He just wanted to give us the option to. In the Greek language there are a few words to describe different types of love often referenced in psychology, philosophy, and theology. You actually may have heard of a few and may recognize them as root words.
Eros love, a romantic/passionate intimacy that may also contribute physical attraction.
Philia love, (Shout out to Phillyyy) a familial/brotherly love based to friendship. It's looking at your friends for the family they can be based on mutual respect, love, and desire for companionship.
Pragma love, a long standing love based on commitment and shared experiences.
Storge love, another familial love but actually based on family existing between parents and children or actual siblings.
And lastly, there's Agape love. This kind of love is unmatched and nonexistent to this world. It is unconditional and selfless, where absolutely nothing you can do as an individual can affect this depth of love. It is the kind of love that seeks the good of the other person, even at personal cost or sacrifice. This is the love that only God demonstrates for us because there's really nothing you can do that can make Him love you any less. Like nothing, nothing.
Some people might tell you that they unconditionally love someone in their life. Sorry but that's not doing it. You can lie to yourself and say that unconditional love exists in this world and that maybe you have it. If you can confidently tell me that if your bf/gf were to beat up your mom, snap her femur, and call her the fattest monkey you ever did see, AND that you would STILL love them.... then hand me my clown costume and my clown nose toDAY. NEOW! Because I can guarantee you that you would be sleeping under the jail after you're finished with them. What about those people who's husbands/wives cheat on them with their PARENTS?? Catching em in the bed and all! Unconditional love my foot. Aint no love in that babes, and if you would still rep for unconditional love then let's just check you into this inpatient psych ward now and put the little grippy socks on ya. I'm glad His love isn't conditional like ours is cause chileeee.
Typically, any healthy relationship is meant to be two-way. You hear me, I hear you. Then the deeper we get to know each other, the more committed to each other we can be. Nobody can tell me something crazy about you because I know you. I spent time with you. I put the work in to get to know you, and you me. You show up for me and inspire me to grow as an individual even if that requires some tough love. And I respond by putting my faith and trust in you because I know I can count on you no matter the situation, good or bad.
This is the type of relationship God wants to have with us.
The old 66 is riddled with evidence of Him wanting us to be in that space with him, doing away with the old ritualistic textbook law that the people of Jesus' time period were shackled under. Just following laws with no heart. He doesn't only want to be worshipped, then he'd be just like any other deity. He wants to be there for you as a friend, and for you to show up for Him in return.
Don't allow yourself to be confined to the idea of a one way relationship with Him, where He gives always and you just take. Where you pray to Him like some magic Houdini or a genie in a bottle when you need something, and forget about Him when it's no longer convenient. There's not a single relationship you could possibly have in the world that could operate like that without someone feeling hurt, insecure, lonely, and not chosen. Who would want that?
So why do we do it to Him?
If we really say we want relationship with Him, we have to be forreal. We have to ask ourselves if we are wholeheartedly wanting to be in His presence every day. To ask if we are living a life that is reflective of having that relationship with Him. Are we intentionally chasing after Him and seeking Him out? Heeding His word, His will, and His way? We're dealing with the one who exists outside of time and has already seen your beginning and how your story will unfold. He's seen your whole life story already, and despite knowing this, He still wants to walk with you personably anyway, to be with you as you grow through the process.
So one aspect of forming a relationship with Him is how we listen to Him and obey His word. In John 14:15 ESV, Jesus says:
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
And if you were to read a few verses more, you will kind of get the picture:
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him or knows Him. You know Him, for he dwells with you and will be in you...
21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
So I'll summarize the rest of the chapter (but I encourage you to read it for yourself!). For more context, Jesus was prepping his disciples for his departure because the anticipation of the cross was building. So trifling Judas goes on to ask Jesus how will he manifest himself to certain people and not to others, to which Jesus kind of reiterates His original point again. He basically said if you rock with me Imma rock with you period! And if not, that's your choice! But don't say you align with me if you don't care to follow my word...and know that this word doesn't belong to me, cause it belongs to my Father. Then He gives them encouragement to trust and find peace/rest in the Holy Spirit when it comes because He will help us move through the everyday labor pains.
This hobby makes me happy because I feel that His spirit guides me to sharing this message in a way that can be digestible. There's no preplanning with this. I don't draw up my bullet points and remember everything! I literally think, "What should I write about for my Sunday Faith post", something gets placed on my heart, then boom, we're typing some heat! I will say that it's coming a bit easier to reference concepts because when I study His word, just as He promised, the Spirit brings things to remembrance for me. I'm currently in the book of Acts and have only read the synoptic gospels (Matthew, John, and a little of Mark and Luke), yet I'm recalling concepts that I've maybe come across on a random Tuesday months ago in some random part of the Old Testament that I haven't even TOUCHED yet. In doing so, I'm ministering to myself outside of just the few books I've read so far and as a result I'm learning so much at once. So it's cool to know that as I'm sharing with you all to enlighten you, I'm also learning in the process of writing as well!
I'm sorry y'all, I get so excited sometimes in how God has been transforming and living in me. Apparently so much so that we still didn't get to the point! We're like five minutes in and we're still not there...sorry not sorry. But hopefully you can see the direction I'm heading in so far. And if not, that's quite alright!
While we have a friend in God, we have to remember that He is still God. So He's worthy of our best when it comes to a relationship with Him, because He gives us His best everyday. Think about how people talk about their love language; acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, and then some. Envision yourself talking to a new person. You have so much love, effort, and time to give them ...but it seems they're not trying to give you the love you deserve in return. They want it all from you, while not caring or even wanting to "match your energy" so to speak. If you had just the tiniest bit of self respect for yourself, just an inkling, then I would imagine you would want to leave that situation and find yourself somebody that's not gonna play about you the first time. Someone that understands and sees your irreplaceable value- so much so, that fumbling you is an inconceivable thought. Funny how I ended up finding that God is on that same type of time as well! Now, I just want to say, I don't want you to beat yourself up if you're just getting your feet wet with this whole faith business thing. Def not my ministry. If you're just getting started on this life long journey, feeling insecure about "not doing enough", stop it right now! That feeling of comparison and shame is not your burden to carry at all! He sees your effort and your desire to get to know Him and will always give you grace. But know that over time He wants our relationship to grow deeper. "I'm just starting" can't always be your reason for not fully committing yourself 15 years down the road. If we remain forever stuck in stagnation, on a surface level relationship with God, then we won't get to experience the fruits that come with just being in His space. He doesn't want that for you or Him. And if it's one thing I learned about God is that He doesn't play about intentionality. He's not with all that talking! If you're claiming His name with your words, then ask yourself, are you ready to get active about Him? If say you're gonna be about it, He's gonna see if you really are about it! So where ever you think you may fall short, pray on it! Ask Him to reveal your heart to yourself so that you can confront it and use it as a stepping stone to better your relationship with Him.
So we get to the topic of obedience. It's harddd. Jesus said if we love Him then we'll keep his commandments, but it gets hard sometimes in our day to day life. Because He doesn't just mean the 10 commandments from the laws of Moses. He means that you'd follow his teachings and your convictions. And when the Spirit relays to you that God wants you on a certain path, you gotta full send it even if it may feel like you're driving in the dark. Purely because you trust in the plan He's got for you and know that He won't lead you to failure ever.
Buttttt sometimessss we don't wannaaaa. We get afraid of how we would look. Sound. Appear. Come across. We get lazy, it's too hard and seems impossible, so were just not feeling up for it. Maybe we're caught up in our biases and feel like it's not worth it to pursue where He wants us to go and wants us to do. (Just go read Jonah and the whale then come back to me). In order to obey God's word and will, we have to rebel to ourselves. Rebel against what our human nature wants to do because our spirit and human desires are not the same. We physically want to serve ourselves, abstaining from and rejecting whatever doesn't interest us. But when we decide about trying to do what God's will is for our lives, we are tapping into our spirituality and meeting Him at the crossroad. So will we choose Him and cross it?
I believe we often fear the outcome of what obedience may lead us to, and it's understandable. Sometimes there's a lot at stake, sometimes it's just the feeling of stepping into the unknown. But what we don't know is that we may be delaying the purpose God has for us and for others we were called to impact by not taking that leap of faith. And I say delaying, not altering. I do believe that if it's in His will for something to occur, it'll occur whether it takes a few days or generations to come (think of the Israelites who spent 40 years in the desert on a trip that didn't have to take that long to the promised land, purely because they kept disobeying the commandments, rejecting Him, and worshipping a gold cow). Rebelling against what we may or may not feel like doing in the moment is trusting him with whatever He may have planned for us next, and that is obedience.
I want to share a few examples of obedience that I found in Acts. I'm not done it yet, but it's so inspiring and def one of my faves already. So if you're unfamiliar, the book of Acts picks up with the disciples post Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus is giving some final instructions before He departs, letting them know to hike to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to descend on them so that they may be empowered to share the gospel. So they did. And so it happened. They gained the power to speak in tongues and perform the miracles that they had trouble doing back in Matthew. Their obedience led them to this empowerment which would lay the groundwork for this new underground faith.
Now let's get into some Bible study. In Acts 9, I learned about the beloved Apostle Paul and his little...history. With the way I always see Paul referenced as this highly intelligent man, on fire for God who's contributed so much to the groundwork of christianity, I would have never expected that my guy was a quirky little persecutor. Imagine my shock when I found out that 'ol boy was a terrorist! Like was bounty hunting the underground Christians, locking them up, and killing them because He thought He was obeying God's will. Growing up with Pharisee parents and raised in the ritualistic law he had grown accustomed to what He knew; so much so, that He was filled with zealous rage and took it upon Himself to kill any Christian He could find. It wasn't until Paul was traveling to Damascus that Jesus revealed himself to Saul (which was Paul's original name while He was in his messy era) and questioned him.
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
So Paul complies and heads into the city. Now a couple of verses later we meet a disciple named Ananias. This man was also on fire for God and was committed to his relationship with Him. One day, he receives a vision from God and they have a little discussion with Him telling Ananias to go and lay hands on Paul to pray for him.
11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
Ananias said wait a minute. Stop the music. What did you say?? This man out here killing people and you want me? To go to him? Please don't joke right now cause he could off me! (If you haven't realized, I like to dramatize my reading. It kinda gives). But God says it's okay, he's going to be used for something greater and I just need you to trust me. So Ananias high tailed and did what the Lord set him out to do. He obeyed and ended up contributing to one of the most important conversions in Christian history. This conversion for Saul turned Paul is so important because the man became one of the most influential leaders in the early Christian church. He would go on to travel throughout the Mediterranean world extensively, preaching the gospel and establishing churches. He wrote many letters (or "epistles") to said churches, which make up a significant portion of the New Testament we know of today. These letters contain theological and ethical teachings, as well as personal advice and encouragement revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.
Paul's teachings emphasized the importance of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than by adherence to the Jewish law that he knew and held so dear to his heart in his old life. He also emphasized the unity of all believers in Christ, regardless of their ethnicity or background. His writings and teachings had a profound impact on the development of Christian theology and the growth of the early church, and he is now considered one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity.
Here's another one. Let's go to Acts chapter 10.
Cornelius was a Roman commander, a devout man who feared God and gave generously to the poor. He did not knowing God fully, yet was still a God-fearing man, learning about the God of Israel. But he did not know Jesus because he was not afforded the opportunity to know of Him. One day, while Cornelius was praying, he saw a vision of an angel who told him to send for a man named Peter in Joppa. At the same time, Peter was on a rooftop in Joppa praying and had a vision of a sheet descending from heaven with all kinds of animals on it, including some that were considered unclean according to Jewish dietary laws. A voice told him to kill and eat the animals, but Peter objected, saying he had never eaten anything unclean. The voice replied, "What God has made clean, do not call common."
So poor Peter was a bit confused when he woke up and was not understanding why he had a dream about some clean and unclean meat. While trying to figure it out, the messengers Cornelius sent had arrived at his doorstep and asked him to come to Cornelius' house. At first, Peter was hesitant to visit a Gentile's (Anyone who was not Jewish) home, since Jewish tradition forbade such contact. But he remembered his vision and the voice saying not to call anything unclean that God had made clean.
When Peter arrived at Cornelius' house, Cornelius greeted him and told him about his vision. Peter then sat down and ate with Cornelius and his friends, sharing the gospel and all that he's learned walking with Jesus. And in that moment, everyone sitting around that table felt their hearts become full and received the spirit in full. This was a significant moment, as it showed that the gospel was for all people, not only Jewish people.
Later, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, he faced criticism from some of the Jewish Christians for visiting a Gentile's home and eating with them. But Peter explained what had happened and how God had shown him that he should not call anyone unclean or common. And in that moment, they understood what it was God was saying and praised Him for changing the mentalities of the people and making the gospel accessible to all.
The story of Peter and Cornelius highlights the importance of breaking down cultural and religious barriers to spread the gospel to all people, and the acceptance of all believers, regardless of their ethnicity or background.
So what would happen if Peter didn't go? What if he thought it wasn't worth it? Sure Cornelius didn't go on to lay a framework for Christianity, but Peter's obedience impacted Cornelius and his friends that day. Giving them a one of a kind gift; a relationship with the only one that would never leave them, good or bad. And in this life, having something stable to depend on is worth the world.
Alright! One last one. Let's flip a few pages and go to Acts 8:26-40.
The apostles are dealing with how to serve their community best and appoint seven deacons, church members who were responsible for serving the needs of the church and the outside people. Philip was one of the them; he helped with the distribution of food and other needs among the believers. One day, an angel of the Lord told Philip to go south on the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.
As Philip was walking, he saw a chariot coming towards him, and in the chariot was an Ethiopian eunuch who was the treasurer of the then queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament but was having trouble understanding it. Very relatable. That's how I feel trying to read the King James Version. The Holy Spirit nudged Philip to approach the eunuch and ask if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch told Philip that he was having some difficulty, which gave the green light for Philip to start that conversation with him.
Philip then explained to the eunuch that the passage he was reading was about Jesus, and how he had fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. This filled the Eunuch with excitement and passion, and eagerly asked for Philip to baptize him to which he did. He went away rejoicing, and Philip went on about his mission, preaching the gospel and caring for people in other communities.
You see the running theme? Philip and the Eunuch, Peter and Cornelius, Paul and Ananias? All of these people could have felt and did feel very human emotions to not wanting to be lead by the Spirit. The big takeaway I've gathered thus far has been the importance of obedience "even if" or "in despite of".
Obedience to Him is hard sometimes. I've been struggling with it myself and allowed myself to internalize shame for not being the "perfect Christian". I find myself questioning if I am actually for Him because I don't understand why I keep falling into the same sin and missing the mark. (If you feel like this too, read Romans chapter 7 in the ERV, Easy-to-Read version and in The Message version) I want to do right by Him, but it's just hard. I want to do what His heart wants for me. But in the space that I'm at, I find myself scared of the outcome. Sometimes I find myself so comfortable with my situation, that leaving it erupts anxiety and I feel immense stagnation. All to which, pulled me farther from Him. But I learned to give up these concerns and to take each day one step at a time with Him. I ask Him to help me identify what it is that keeps me stagnant and to help me uproot and confront those issues, to which He has been! The moment I stopped worrying about the future of what today's lack of obedience with one situation may cause me, and started focusing on giving Him quality time with my day, the more He revealed to me. And it brought me so much peace. He showed me that it's my heart posture and my effort that He wants. He wants to see me keep trying even when I disobey Him. Because I know I will get there. He wants to see me continue to come to Him even when I mess up and I don't feel like it because He won't turn me away. Because in that process, we strengthen our spirit to rebel against ourselves in order to obey.
Thanks for tuning in and I hope to see you again soon!
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