Obedience Is The Key

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Reading: John 14:15-31

Reflection: It is easy to overlook how important it is to not only know the teachings of Jesus, but also to obey them in life. In fact, you could go so far as to say that the person who does not obey Jesus' words likely doesn't really understand them...for inherent in Jesus' concept of understanding is both the acceptance of factual reality and application to daily life. This is important because while many may say that simply knowing who Jesus is...and mentally consenting to the truth of that knowledge...is enough to gain the Holy Spirit. This is not true, given what Jesus says in this passage. Jesus states that it is not those who just "know who He is", but those who "in this knowledge choose to obey Him" who will gain the Holy Spirit.

So, how is the Holy Spirit of God gained by any person? It seems to me that first there needs to be some time in the presence of Jesus. During this time, we come to know who He is and what He believes. Second, there must be mental consent. Those gathered around him must come to the conclusion that Jesus is who He claims to be, given what He does and teaches. Third, once I have been with Jesus, come to know what He stands for, and mentally agreed with who this person is, I then need to give my life to embrace those teachings as my primary pattern of life. If I do this, then the Holy Spirit comes upon me and gives me the strength, encouragment and guideand needed to faithfully live out Jesus' teachings. So, the key to the Holy Spirit is not just knowing Jesus...it is obeying the teaching of that Jesus you have come to know. Obedience is the key.