That this Spirit is given to all true believers is evident by the effects of his being given. They have ends, affections, and lives different from the rest of mankind; they live upon the hopes of a better life, and their heavenly interest overrules all the opposite interest of this world. In order to this they live under the conduct of divine authority, and to obey and please God is the great business of their lives.
– Richard Baxter –
from Dying Thoughts, 1683
People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.
– DA Carson –
How do we worship our God wholeheartedly? To answer the question we must respond to the command … “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). True Love is complete obedience … half obedience is no obedience. If you love Jesus, you will obey what He commands. This is true love and true worship.
– Unknown –
Obedience is the only proof of reality. Faith without works is dead, being alone. “Ye are my friends,” says Jesus, “if ye do whatever I command you” (John 15:14)
– JC Ryle –
from Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856
Lord, make me less like Jonah and more like Jesus. Save me from being the kind of person who cares more about my comfort, my reputation, and my success than I do about the people You are calling me to serve. Help me to keep all of my dreams on Your altar and be ready at all times to respond with faith and obedience to Your call.
– Colin S. Smith –
We do not meditate that we may rest in contemplation, but in order to obey.
– Thomas Manton –
1620-1677
If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of angels lies in obedience to God’s will.
– John Newton –
1725-1807
Whenever you make up your mind to refuse to go where God wants you to go and to do what God wants you to do, you must make up your mind at the same time to renounce the friendship of God. You cannot walk with Him and at the same time be in rebellion against Him … it is mere mockery, to say “Lord, Lord” and then refuse to do the things that He commands you to do.
– Clovis G. Chappell –
We never test the resources of God until we attempt the
IMPOSSIBLE.
– FB Meyer –
