What Is Common Between Love and Obedience?

2 John 1:6
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Consistently the Bible tells us that to love is a command. A command to love one another. A command to love your enemies. To love is a command. The Bible repeatedly presents love as one of the most important virtues. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

Obedience is what God required from Adam and Eve. Obedience is what God has expected from His people throughout history. Sin came because of disobedience. King Saul was rejected by God because of disobedience. Abraham is celebrated as a father of faith because of his obedience. God demanded and still demands obedience. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

There is love for God and love for fellow human beings. We are expected to love God completely and to love others as we love ourselves. Love may be interpreted in many ways in the Greek language that was used to write the New Testament. Love for friendship. Love among family members. Love based on erotic attraction. However, when it comes to the love that God has shown us, the Greeks express it as unconditional love. This is the love we should have for God and for one another. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

While we can and should love anyone and everyone, we should not obey everyone. Children obey their parents in the Lord. Wives submit to their husbands as is fitting in the Lord. It has to be in the Lord. If not in the Lord, we do not obey. If we must choose between obeying God or human beings, we should obey God and disobey human beings. We should only obey God. We only obey others if that obedience does not contradict or conflict with our obedience to God. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

Love desires to please the object of their love. We make many sacrifices to please those we love. We spend heavily to please those we love. We travel long distances to please those we love. We buy gifts to please those we love. We celebrate events to please those we love. We apologize and regret when we fail to please those we love. Love seeks to please. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

Obedience as espoused in scripture seeks to please those we obey. We obey to please. Sometimes the obedience demands a lot of sacrifices and we do it to please the one we are obeying. Obedience is satisfactory if those we obey are pleased with us. If the one we obey is pleased, we are satisfied, otherwise, we get disappointed or keep trying to please the one we obey. Obedience seeks to please. Our text today connects Love and obedience. What is common between love and obedience?

Desire to please is the common factor between love and obedience. The intention of both is to please. The Bible tells us that it is a loving thing to do when we obey. When we obey, it is love. When we obey what the Bible tells us, we love God. When we obey people, we love them. Those we obey, we seek to please.

If you love God, please Him by obeying His commands. You obey because you love. Obedience expresses love. Love compels us to obey. Unless motivated by love, obedience is difficult. May God help us to love and obey Him, and others too, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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