Matthew 7.21 warns not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

God expects people to obey Him both because they love Him and because He is God and as such, must be obeyed.

God desires to be called Father by His people for those who have chosen to reconcile with Him through Jesus Christ are called children of God. As Father, He requires His children to reflect His nature, His image in the world, the image we were created to express but which our rebellion has corrupted.

Like the toddler who says, ‘no,’ to his mother then runs away from her is how all humans naturally respond to God. We are not born with a pre-disposition to obey God and to live according to His character and ways.

This is why we need a Savior, why we must ask God’s forgiveness and why we need both reconciled and restored to God through Jesus Christ Who alone is capable of making these things possible.

But once we have been restored, once we have bowed the knee and confessed with our mouth our allegiance to Jesus Christ then we must place His will and His ways above all others including our own.

The life God wants for us is not to be added to the life we now have but to replace the life we now have with the life He wants for us.

Those who confess a relationship with God must demonstrate their allegiance to God by deeds of love, service and sacrifice for the glory of God. Believing in God and not working to serve God is what the enemies of God do.

The children of God honor their Father by living in obedience to His commands.

This is how we know we truly love God, we obey Jesus’ commands.