Philippians 2:5-8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus, who is God, came down from heaven and took our punishment. The infinitely glorious God of the universe loved us enough to die in our place. When we begin to grasp this fact then will our hearts and lives begin to change. The Bible tells us that "we love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
So what I am proposing is that obedience begins with love; first with the glorious love that we see in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and second with the love that is formed in our heart by God's grace when we respond to the Gospel in repentance and faith. But it does not stop here. We must continue to grow in our love for God because love for God drives out our sinful desires. God is not after begrudging obedience. God is after obedience that stems from love.
So yes we read our Bibles, pray, do ministry and missions, and so on not to be accepted by God but because our gracious God has already accepted us in Christ. So we do all these things to know and to love Him more (also to glorify God and make His glory known), and the more we know and love God the more holy we become and the more joyful we will be.
Every command that God gives, everything He calls us to can only be achieved by repentance and faith, totally surrendering to Jesus. There are no basic practical steps towards obedience; only true love for Christ and the Gospel will fuel our obedience.
So as you struggle to fight the good fight, instead of looking for practical ways to make yourself better or to live your best life now, ask yourself, how's your love for God?
