Do It Because...

Because God is God… The fact is, God is our Almighty Creator and as such He has the ability and complete right to tell us what is right, what is best, and what we must do. We do things God says because He is God and we are not.

Because Jesus is the Son of God…In raising from the dead, it was established once and for all that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. As God’s Son, He has all authority to direct us through His teaching, and through the apostles He chose (Mt 28:18). We do things Jesus says because we are confident that He is the Son of God.

Because the Bible says so… God’s Holy Spirit directed the apostles and prophets to write the Scriptures. There is evidence to show that these men knew what they were writing and that it is from God. The New Testament gives us a pattern for becoming, remaining God’s people, and for serving God faithfully.

Because it’s right… Knowing who is right directs us to knowing what is right. God is right. He is truth. This means what He says is right and true (Ps 19:9). His word is right. His way is always right. It’s not a matter of what we like or want, who we like, or how much change or sacrifice is required. No matter what we or others my think, God is true and therefore we choose Him and his will for us.

Because it’s for our good… God always knows and wants what is best for us (De 6:24). He fully demonstrated this by sending His Son to die so that we may have eternal life. Whether we always understand why God tells us to do something, or whether we always see how it is in our best interest, is not the point. We know God is on our side and that His will and law are for our good, so we follow it.

Because, in response to His love for us, we love God… He loved us and sent His Son to die for us even before we loved Him (1 Jn 4:19). The reasonable and loving response is for us to love God, expressing that love by trying to be like Him (godly, righteous, holy, etc.). We put our love into action by trying to please Him by doing what He says (obedience). We obey God because He loved us and we love Him.   dd