[Note: this is a continuing part of a series reproducing a sermon. An explanation can be found here.]
There is a clear correlation between being a Christian, loving Jesus, and having a desire to obey him. But we can be confused about how obedience fits in the Christian life.
There are Christians for whom obedience defines Christianity. For those, in the implied equation of
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (15)
the second half of that equation is doing the heavy lifting. Keeping commandments becomes the focus. This seems good, but it inevitably leads to either great pride or great sorrow.
That is, one either thinks he is living a life of obedience, and is proud of that, and a bit (or a lot) judgmental of others who aren’t, or he realizes that he is NOT living a life of obedience, and is deeply pained by that.
The proud often will not be able to see their pride. We never think ourselves proud. But if we emphasize obedience, it will arise subtly in a series of several predictable steps.
1) We will see success in obedience in an area where we do not struggle. So, we may have no problem with discipline and self-control, and so we will see ourselves obedient to God in those things reflecting self-control.
2) We will then come to know someone who, say, is overweight or who sleeps late or whatever. These will be evidences in our mind of someone who lacks self-control.
3) We will quietly, privately perhaps, judge that person for his obvious lack of self-control.
4) We will be friendly, but condescending toward him, feeling innately superior. We will perhaps feel pity for the person, if not disdain, though we may outwardly maintain a friendly façade.
5) We will not even consider the possibility that the one we judge as lacking self control may have a medical condition effecting weight gain. Or he may be on medication, leading him to oversleep. And for sure we will ignore the fact that the one we judge as lacking self-control is wildly generous with his income, and we, inclined to fastidious greed.
Pride is an awful companion, but if we weigh-in too heavily on the second half of this equation, it is an easy path to follow and a hard path to escape.
, page 484.)
. I was already a Christian but found his careful expression of the Christian faith something that deepened and solidified my own commitment. And I remember clearly his respectful invitation to non-Christians to read and give consideration to what he was saying. He invited them to hear, he did not hound them to believe. 
which gave my wife and I a sense of God’s heart for the whole world. We became persuaded that a career in missions was what God had in store for us. That persuasion led us to seminary where God turned my heart toward pastoral ministry. But that sense that the mission of God encompassed all peoples was not something that has ever left me.
. His contribution to that series included a volume on 
which came to me at a time when my vision for what the church was meant to be was maturing and expanding. I was not left the same.
, and have been encouraged and challenged to persevere in what can be an exhausting and draining task. And those who have listened to me will appreciate the answer Stott gives to the question of how long a sermon should be: “It does not matter as long as it seems like twenty minutes.” Wise answer, that.
late. Having just preached on John 12:31 I feel a need to return to his mature reflections upon the central event of our Christian faith.
show the book’s age (it was first published in 1979) is illustrated in his assumption that Christians or anyone still reads newspapers. No doubt, he had never heard of the internet. Dated caveats aside, I wish I had read this book in 1979, so full of sense and Biblical wisdom it is. Representative is this, an encouragement I need to take more seriously: