Be Rich in the Word: Applying the Word

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus gathered with his disciples in an upper room of a house in the city of Jerusalem and taught them many things. He was about to take up his cross and die in obedience to his heavenly Father and for the salvation of all who would believe in him. In other words, he was about to display the fullness of his love by loving his Father and his friends all the way to the end (see John 13:1; 15:13). 

Since he wanted his beloved disciples to receive eternal life and learn a way of life from him, he taught them, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). With these words, he was inviting them into his way of life, namely, carefully listening to the Father and then faithfully applying the words of the Father by doing his will in the world. This is the path to joy and fruitfulness in life, and Jesus longed for his loved ones to know and trod this path. 

Evidently, the Apostle John understood and applied his Master’s teaching, for many years later, he wrote these words to his beloved friends: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:3-6). In other words, love for God is expressed through obedience to God. It’s displayed by applying his words to life. 

Now, as critical as obedience is in the life of the believer, it’s designed by God to come about in a particular way. The details of this are very important, so please pay careful attention. First, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by obeying his Father’s commands all the way to death on a cross. As the second head of humanity, he did what no other was able to do. Second, by his grace, God the Father applies the perfect obedience of Jesus to everyone who believes in Jesus so that they stand righteous before him as though they themselves had perfectly obeyed him. Third, based on the grace of God in Christ and their standing before God in Christ, the children of God learn to walk in his ways. They learn to obey. They learn to express their love by applying his words to their lives. 

But even this third step flows from the grace of God in Christ, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Friends, Jesus accomplished perfect obedience for us, he applied it to us by faith, and he works it in us by faith. So our part is simple: to surrender to him and allow him to work his obedience in us that we may share in the fullness of his joy! 

With this in mind, let's devote ourselves to being rich in the word of Christ that we might be filled with the joy of Christ both now and forevermore!