Jesus: The Ultimate Dishwasher

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.?The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” (1 John 2:3–4 NASB).

When we sin, the anger of God is aroused, and we must seek to appease it. Thankfully, Jesus bore the weight of this divine wrath at Calvary, even though he himself was sinless. Through his sacrifice on the cross, we have gained hope, and as a result, we are no longer content to wallow in our sin.

We rely on the cross each and every day, even each second, striving to obey God’s commandments to the best of our ability. Of course, our obedience is not perfect, but it is authentic.

Consider, for instance, a child tasked with doing the dishes. The child dutifully washes and dries them, placing them back in the cupboard when finished. And yet, upon inspection, you notice that the dishes could have been cleaned better. This is real obedience — but not perfect obedience.

Perfect obedience is an unattainable ideal, for we all have our flaws and shortcomings. Nevertheless, authentic obedience means that we never resign ourselves to sin. Rather, we should always strive to be the best we can be, never content with less than our best effort. And if we truly know God, we will take joy in following his commandments.