Looking To Eternity: What Heaven Notices — Obedience

Our world is saturated with claims of love, yet it is also overflowing with acts of selfishness. Like water and oil swirling around one another, the two do not go together. Claims of love and acts of selfishness are contrary to one another. Put this in the context of friendship, you have pain; in the context of marriage, trauma; in the context of religion, hell. While that may sound strong, it aligns directly with God's teaching in Matthew 7:21-23: not all will be received because not all have obeyed the Father's will.

Jesus identified a fault of the people of His day, which is just as surely rearing its ugly head today — claims without action. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked a question that routinely makes me stop and think: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” As much as it pains me to admit, I have, at times, fallen into this category of people — those who have fallen out of love with Christ. I think we can all admit that there have been more times than we are pleased with when we have claimed to be Christian but have not donned the character of Christ, or when we have claimed to belong to Him but have not kept His commandments.

Jesus was clear in how our love for Him is demonstrated, just like any relationship, listening and doing. There is no healthy relationship without listening. Likewise, there is no healthy relationship without obedience. Furthermore, there is no healthy relationship that does not do both, listen and obey, in tandem. Jesus was clear, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)

This conversation is one of the few we can have in which I think it is fair to say that God does not differ too much from man in that He notices and affectionately regards obedience. Heaven notices when we make sacrifices that cost us — when we choose His will above our own. Heaven notices when we choose His voice over our own or the voices around us (1 Sam 15:22).

Heaven notices every step taken in submission. Every choice to follow Scripture rather than self.