“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21

If you spend any time reading the narrative portions of the Bible, you discover a pattern.  Ever since the fall in the garden, God delivers people first and then shows them how to respond to his grace and promises. It’s the same pattern for us, and yet we have this tendency to mess up the order and try to live by the imperatives of Scripture without leaning into Jesus. That’s not obedience, that’s rule-following.

Jesus came to make our souls come alive (not turn us from bad people into good people but from dead people into alive people!). He invites us to revel in the beauty of his obedience for us and his inexhaustible grace to us. It’s not “What Would Jesus Do?” that fuels obedience, it’s “Look What Jesus Did!” Our obedience flows from our satisfaction in Jesus. During this season of Lent, just revel in what Jesus has done for you and what he has promised yet to do. I hope that causes you to cast off fear and take big risks to walk in God’s ways! As you do, Jesus is revealed to an onlooking world for who he really is – an infinitely valuable and satisfying Savior.

Lord Jesus, when I stand before you someday and see you face to face, may the evidence of my faith be my confidence in your obedience and your righteousness for my sake. May obedience to the will of God be the increasing and sincere pattern of my life for my joy and the glory of your holy name.