Jesus never insists on having authority over us. He tells us clearly that if we love him we will obey him (John 15:10). But loving him is our choice. If we choose not to love him, then we have no obligation to obey him. Our obedience is founded in our love for him. There is, therefore, no coercion involved in our obedience to him. If you obey him it's because you love him and if you don't love him, then you have no reason to obey him.
In other words, our relationship with Jesus is forged in freedom. In fact, most of Jesus' strongest commands only make sense in the context of freedom. Every time he says, "This command I give you ..." (which, by the way, is not very often), it points to the freedom we have in Christ. If he is commanding us to do something, it implies that we have the choice NOT to do it -- we have the freedom to disobey.
Anything less than freedom would be slavery. If we are slaves to Christ, as Paul would suggest (Romans 1:1), then it is a self-imposed slavery. We are slaves because we choose to be so ... not because he has enslaved us. As paul would say, "I make myself a slave ..." (1 Corinthians 9:19). Slavery can only happen between the oppressor and the oppressed. Obedience can only happen between equals. That's why Jesus says, "I no longer call you servants ... I have called you friends." (John 15:15) If I am to obey Jesus I must be given the freedom and status to choose to do so. A slave cannot be obedient. He can only do what he is forced to do ... what he must do to save his own life. Only in freedom can you truly obey ... even to the point of giving your own life for him. Jesus died on the cross (he was obedient to the Father) BECAUSE he was God's Son, NOT in order to become God's Son. He did it NOT because he had to, but because it was what the Father wanted.
God has made you to be free (Galatians 5:1). You never have to obey Jesus Christ. Of course, you will never know him until you obey him. But the choice is always yours.
blessings,
pastor ellis
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