Series #3 Joy In Obedience

• The world often presents obedience as bondage, restriction, and limitation. Society tells us that true freedom comes from doing whatever we please, whenever we please. But Jesus presents a radically different picture.
• In the upper room, speaking to His disciples just hours before His crucifixion, He reveals that obedience to God is not restrictive—it is the gateway to joy. Not just any joy, but His own joy, full and complete.
• This is not the temporary happiness that the world offers, which fades with circumstances. This is the deep, abiding joy that comes from being in perfect alignment with the heart of God. Today, we will discover three profound truths about obedience that will transform how we view God's commands.

I. Obedience to Christ Leads to Abiding in Love (John 15:10)

The Conditional Promise

• • "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love."
  • This verse contains both a condition and a promise. The condition is keeping Christ's commandments—not perfectly, for we are saved by grace—but consistently, willfully, and from the heart. The promise is that we shall "abide" in His love.
  • The word "abide" (Greek: meno) means to remain, to dwell, to continue steadfastly. It's the same word Jesus uses when He says, "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4). This is not about earning God's love—His love for us is unconditional and eternal. Rather, it's about experiencing and enjoying that love in its fullness.

Christ's Example

• • Notice Jesus' example: "even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." Jesus models perfect obedience. Throughout His earthly ministry, He could say, "I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29). His obedience wasn't burdensome but was the expression of His perfect love relationship with the Father.

Fellowship vs. Relationship

• • Consider the difference between fellowship and relationship. Our relationship with God is secured by the blood of Christ—nothing can separate me from His love (Romans 8:38-39), except myself not being willing to obey Him. But our fellowship with God— our day-to-day fellowship or walking with Him—is affected by our obedience.
  • When we walk in disobedience, we lose our salvation, and we also lose the sweet fellowship. Like a child who disobeys his father—he's still a son, but the relationship is strained until reconciliation occurs. If we were not His child still, then our baptism would become void and the Bible teaches that there is only one baptism. The way to bring ourselves back into fellowship with God is to repent and get back into the light before it is too late.
  • Obedience maintains that sweet, unbroken fellowship with our Savior. It allows the blood of Christ to continually wash us, keeping us pure and justified in His sight.
• Illustration: A married couple may love each other deeply, but if one consistently disregards the other's wishes and desires, their intimacy suffers. Love remains, but the joy of that love is hindered until reconciliation is made.

II. Obedience Produces Full Joy (John 15:11)

Christ's Joy Defined

• • "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
  • Jesus speaks of "my joy"—His own joy. What was the source of Christ's joy? It was doing the will of His Father. "My meat is [figuratively, what makes me full is] to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). Even facing the cross, the Hebrew writer says this about Jesus, "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
  • This joy is:
    • Permanent: "might remain in you" (not temporary like worldly pleasure; Heb. 11:25)
    • Personal: "my joy" (the very joy of Christ Himself; Philippians 2:2

“Fulfil [pleroo] ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Philippians 3)

• • • Perfect: "that your joy might be full" (a process of becoming complete) [Think of filling a glass with water: pleroo- describes the action of filling the glass until it is full; teleios- describes the glass being full or the water reaching its intended level.]

The Mathematics of Joy

• • The world's equation: Circumstances + Getting What I Want = Happiness
  • Christ's equation: Obedience + Abiding in Love = Full Joy
  • Notice that Christ's joy doesn't depend on external circumstances. Paul and Silas sang in prison (Acts 16:25). The early Christians rejoiced when persecuted (Acts 5:41). This joy transcends circumstances because it's rooted in our relationship with the unchanging God through obedience to Him and His Word.

Joy vs. Happiness

• • Happiness depends on "happenings"—what happens to us. Joy is different. The Greek word for joy (chara) is related to the word grace (charis). Joy is a grace-gift from God that springs from knowing we are right with Him and walking in His will, making Him happy.
• Illustration: A symphony orchestra creates beautiful music not when each musician plays whatever they want, but when all submit to the conductor's direction. Similarly, our lives create beautiful harmony when we submit to God's direction (We walk together with Him and based on His standards or direction, the narrow path).

III. Obedience Reflects a Transformed Heart

Love, Not Fear

• • "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). True obedience flows from love, not fear. The Pharisees obeyed from fear and pride—they wanted to appear righteous and avoid punishment. But Christ calls us to obedience that flows from grateful love.
  • When we truly understand what Christ has done for us—that He took our sins upon Himself and gave us His righteousness—obedience becomes our joyful response, not our grudging duty.

Internal vs. External

• • The old covenant was written on tablets of stone; the new covenant is written on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). External conformity without a change in heart produces legalism (obeying for the sake of obeying; duty, the rules say I have to do this) and pride. But when God changes our hearts, obedience becomes natural—like an apple tree producing apples.

The Paradox of Freedom

• • The world says: "Do whatever you want and you'll be free."
  • Christ says: "Obey My commands and you'll be truly free." (John 8:32

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”)

• • Who is more free—the drug addict who can "do whatever he wants" or the person who has never touched drugs? Who is more free—the person enslaved to sinful habits or the one who walks in righteousness?
    • Psalm 119:1-2: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."
    • James 1:25: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (1 Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”)

Conclusion

• There is no greater happiness than knowing you are walking in obedience with your Savior. Not perfect obedience—we all stumble—but sincere, heartfelt obedience that flows from love (Walking or being a servant to righteousness, rather than sin; Rom. 6).
• Today, you may be feeling in your heart a need to surrender an area of disobedience. Perhaps there's a sin you've been harboring, a command you've been ignoring, or a temptation you’ve been struggling with. This can be true whether you’ve never obeyed the gospel or if you’ve been a Christian for many years. Remember: God's commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). They are the pathway to joy.
• Don't let the world deceive you into thinking that following Christ means missing out on life. The opposite is true—only in Him do we find life abundant (John 10:10). His yoke is easy, His burden is light (Matthew 11:30), and His joy is full.
• Invitation: If you’ve not obeyed the gospel, this is what you need to do…
  • Hear God’s Word [Rom. 10:17]
  • Believe that Jesus is the Christ and the only begotten Son of the Father [Acts 8; Heb. 11:6; obedient faith is the ONLY way to bring God true joy]
  • Repent of your sins (commit to not living in sin, but rather being a servant of righteousness; Rom. 6) [Acts 17:30; 2 Pet. 3:9]
  • Confess your faith before others [Acts 8; Matt. 10; Rom. 10]
  • Be immersed in water to receive the forgiveness of your sins [Acts 2, 8, 22:]
  • God will add you to His church [Acts 2:47]
  • Live faithful, obedient to His commands, till death or until you die [Rev. 2:10] (Meaning if you have obeyed the gospel and you have fallen away or you a struggling with a temptation, then you can make that right with God today. You can pray right where you are.)
• If you need to come forward for any of these reasons, then won’t you come as we stand and as we sing.

Author: Patrick King