“To love” is God’s command for us.  It is the foundation of all the teachings of scripture and therefore the foundation of our faith as well.  This is a “you have to” statement for us. However, Matthew writes earlier in 7:18-20:

¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  ²⁰ Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Your “fruit” is the outward expression of who you are, and thus your faith.  So your faith can be measured by your works as only good works come from one who is good because nothing good can come from someone who is bad.  But the following verses read:

²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.  ²² On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?'  ²³ Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'

It is not enough to do good works, but those works must be the will of God as well.  And the will of God is for all to know who He is and for all to be baptized and become Disciples – that is followers of Christ.  This is known as “The Great Commission” and all that Christ has taught us to do.  Because if we truly believe in the promises of Christ on the cross for us, that through His death we are set free from the bondage of our sins, and that in this act of love and mercy we accept the blessings God has given to us,  then cannot but want to share this with others.

God has given us this commandment, and the guidance to be obedient.  But it is easy to read and talk about what it means to be Christian, it is difficult to live it.  These passages tell us the foundation of who we are and how we are to act…in the love of Christ toward others.  It is through this command to love, that we understand our faith and our excitement.  It is a command because we ought to do it, yet it is also exciting because it is a reflection of our faith and if we truly believe in God’s love then we would never think of acting differently.  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it: Only he who believes is obedient / Only he who is obedient believes.

In short, being obedient to God’s will may mean doing work.  It may mean doing things that we are uncomfortable with.  But it always means receiving a profound joy in the Spirit, sure confidence in our life, and an uplifting Hope in the Love of Christ.

Pastor Ron