Lesson 69: Obedience to God
1 John: The fruit of the Holy Spirit working in us is obedience to God’s commands. Anyone who has been reborn works to keep those commands, which are summed up in loving God and loving others. This is not burdensome if God’s love is in us. So often we fail to love God or others as we should because of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. But faith in Jesus gives the victory that overcomes the world (its sinful pattern). When we trust in Jesus as our Savior, we are assured that when we fail, He advocates for us before God for His sake. Thus, even though our own consistency in obeying God’s commands always fails us, Jesus’ consistency in loving us gives us enablement to be obedient, and so we keep trying and improving throughout our lives. This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith in Christ.