Last night we touched on Christian obedience in our study on 1 John.

By this we know if we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. (1 Jn 2:3)

Christian obedience, far from a drudge, flows out of our love for God because of who He is and what He has done, most especially in lavishing His grace upon His people and the presence of His Spirit in our life; the mark that we are a true believer. So you might say that what undergirds Christian obedience is devotion. I am currently reading another Puritan classic written by William Law in 1729. It is called A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. In many ways it echoes the theme found in Wilberforce’s book Real Christianity that we studied this summer regarding nominalism and authentic Christianity. I cannot comment on the whole book because I have not finished it yet, but I was struck by the opening page in which Law unpacks the essence of true Christian devotion. I pray you’ll find it helpful. He wrote:

DEVOTION is neither private nor public prayer; but prayers, whether

private or public, are particular parts or instances of devotion.

Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted, to God.

He, therefore, is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will,

or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who

considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes

all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in

the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory.

We readily acknowledge, that God alone is to be the rule and measure of

our prayers; that in them we are to look wholly unto Him, and act

wholly for Him; that we are only to pray in such a manner, for such

things, and such ends, as are suitable to His glory.

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris