Because I Said So

By Pastor Eric

The other day I asked one of my daughters to take the trash out, a simple task. After asking her to do this for me I got a very familiar response, “Why do I have to do that?” If you have children I’m sure you have had this statement ring in your ears many times as well. Of course we give them the very best “parental” answer we can give, “Because I said so!”  For as many times as my children have asked “why”, I have responded just about every time with, “because I said so.” 

In scripture, God is very clear about how we should live. The book of Galatians and Colossians is full of instructions for how we are expected to present ourselves to the world as Christ followers. God was very clear and direct about the things we should avoid in this life and the things we should embrace…..essentially who we should be in Christ. These are not only important because God has commanded us to do them–but as we choose to stay away from the “don’ts” and live into the “dos”….we are ultimately witnessing to the world who God is in us! Our complete lives should point to God and who he is all the time (Romans 12:1).

But God doesn’t want us to do these things, which he has pointed out in scripture, just “because he said so.” Rather, he wants us to live out our lives in this manner that demonstrates our gratitude and love for him. It would be easy for God to “make” us do these things and to live this way, but that’s not what he wants. He wants us, his children, to obey his commandments and follow his instructions out of our thankfulness for all he has done for each of us. God tells us in John 14:15, “If you truly love me, obey my commandments.” See, our obedience doesn’t come from an obligation to follow the rules but rather it should flow freely out of our love for God. When we obey and live out of great love for God, it is expressed in a much deeper way and is genuine! 

As we choose to live according to God’s will out of thankfulness and love, we must remember that it is grounded in the amazing love God has shown for us. Through the work of his son on the cross, we have been justified, gifted salvation, and blessed with eternal life. Through his blood we have been resurrected to a new life! This is why we choose to live a life according to God’s will….out of gratitude and love. The Heidelberg Catechism #90 says this really well: Question – What is the rising-to-life of the new self? Answer – Wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a love and delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work. Romans 6:10-11 says, “The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Brothers and sisters, we live for God, according to his will because he died for us out of his deep deep love for you and me…….NOT just ‘because he says so.” Our obedience is a by-product of our hearts desire to love God and be thankful for his love for us! 

Does your love for our holy and loving God produce obedience in your life? 

“This is love for God that we obey his commands and his commands are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3

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