The perfect law of liberty

Living out the truth is more instructive than studying the truth.

It is in living it out that we learn it best.

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." - Jas 1:25   

For a fuller discussion on the above click here. 

However to properly live out "the law of liberty" we must understand the gospel of grace.

Until we fully understand the grace of God, we assume obedience is performance. We approach God's commandments as if they are hoops to jump through to earn his approval and gain his love, instead of loving directions for us to take part and experience the fullness of life in him.

True obedience, however, is not to get something from God but to give something to him; the rightful honor and glory due him, i.e. we are to give ourselves in the same way Christ gave himself to us. It is in our giving we receive, i.e. experience his love and empowerment.

True obedience is the fruit of God's love for us, not the cause. It is ¹evidence of our love for God.

God already fully poured out his love on us, in and through the life and death of Christ. There is nothing we can do to cause God to love us. It was while we were still sinners he loved us. 

Once we are in Christ, his infinite love is "locked in" and fixed upon us and will ²never be removed from us.

When we fully receive and abide in this love, then and only then will we bear much fruit.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing... As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:4-5;9  

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¹John 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

This tells us what God does for us when we seek to "do" for Him. God is all about our business when we're all about his.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

This tells us what we do for him because of what He did for us.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

This tells us what God does for us that empowers us to do for him.

Obedience is the fruit of his love for us and the evidence of our love for him.

John 14:15 

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him."

John 14:23
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love.

1 John 2:3
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,

2 John 1:6
And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.

²Though our everyday experience of his love can be suppressed, i.e. we can grieve and quench the Spirit.