There is nothing better for a father, than to see his child looking to him for approval. Nothing more reassuring to know that they look to us in trust, knowing that all it takes is a smile, a thumbs up or a high five to reassure them that we are pleased with their efforts. What this fatherly approval can do for a child is unending. As a father myself, I loved to watch my boys in anticipation of that moment, where I could say “well done son” and watch them stand a little taller, puff their chest out a little farther, or just get excited and act silly because their dad is pleased with them.

Do we not also look to our heavenly Father the same way? Is our desire to do His will, obey His commands and seek His approval? Most kids do not seek to please their father with the goal that somehow, if they earn enough approval, they will be included in the family. They are already part of the family and therefore, they do not need to strive to please their father for any other reason than because they love him. It is because of the very nature of being his child, their desire is to please him. What an amazing image that is, a child loving their father and in response to that love, working and seeking to both to please and honor him out of love for him. This picture is the very essence of living the redeemed life. When we are granted the gift of everlasting life, reunited with our Creator (John 17:3), we are brought into the family of God (John 1:12-13). He is now our Father and with a new heart, we are given a desire to follow Him and obey His commands (Ezekiel 36:26-27), not out of compulsion, but because we want to please Him (1 John 5:2-3). We were created for this very purpose (Ephesians 2:10). We seek to please our Father in heaven because now we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we love Him and strive to honor Him with our whole being. What a miracle this is! This transformation is called the “new birth”, or being “born again (John 3:3-7). As a new creation, we now want to obey our Father, make Him proud, not to earn His favor, but because our desire flows out of the love we have for Him, just as my son’s willingness to please me flows out of his love for me. This heart posture pleases the Lord. Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). This is not new. All throughout Scripture the Lord seeks those who will be obedient from the heart for Him, as the psalmist says “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to Him (Psalm 128:1). Fear, in this context, is reverence and honor. Blessed are all who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart (Psalm 119:1-2).

So I leave you with these thoughts to ponder. Do you love the LORD the way a child loves his father? Looking for ways to please Him, not to earn His favor, but simply to please Him because you love Him? Are you part of God’s family? If you are then take heed of Jesus’ words. Jesus told all who would follow Him and call themselves Christian, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Are you ready to obey His word? Are you His disciple? Do you love Him? Let us then be of good courage Christian and not shrink back, obey our Lord, honor Him, so when we come into His presence we can look forward to hearing Him say, “well done my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21). In that moment, His approval will be more than enough, but more importantly we will know that regardless of how perfectly we did what He asked, His acceptance will not be on the basis our perfection, but only on the basis of Christ’s. It will be our heart toward pleasing Him that will be what truly matters. Go therefore and be His disciple, obey His commands from the heart, love His law and statutes and fulfill the Great Commission. Go!

How do we fulfill the great commission? Read a short exposition of the text, Matthew 28:19-20 on Herald the Truth: The Great Commission Explained

Biblical Evangelism, How do I Share My Faith?

If you could not answer these questions with assurance, check out this page, What is the True Gospel?

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