Gospel Reflections #586: What Obedience Truly Is?

Matthew 9:20 "And there came up to him a woman who had been sick and bleeding for twelve years, and she touched the tuft of Jesus' garment from behind."

We may be eager to express and communicate our faith to those around us, but "it is of little use to talk lightly about religious matters or to pray for spiritual blessings without a true thirst of the soul and a living faith", Ellen G. White It is said.

We draw near to Jesus because we really believe that we have no power and that He would change us, and even if we just touch the hem of His garment, He realizes that we have come to Him and He generously flows out His power.

Only when we are convinced that we are truly saved and redeemed does our faith work through love and purify our souls.

It then leads the life of Christ's followers to true obedience to God's commandments.

Obedience means that we receive God's love and respond to it willingly.

Obedience is the result of a vital union with Christ.

And this spiritual relationship between Christ and man can only be established by exercising personal faith.

To exercise faith is not a reaction to our immediate circumstances, but a reorientation of ourselves so that we find God in such circumstances, not in our deeds or efforts.

To exercise faith is not to look at ourselves helplessly, but to surrender to God who completes us and pray, 'We cannot do it, but you can, lead us to offer us to you'.

God surely receives the cry from our hearts.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.