Through His commandments, Jesus shares with us from His own wisdom and experience the keys to enjoying the rewards of holiness. Central to this reward is a dynamic relationship with the Father and a life filled with spiritual vibrancy and joy.
Matthew 11:29-30 – Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Jesus' yoke represents the way He lived and the way He leads. First, His yoke is easy because He sets clear expectations as to how we ought to relate to God and others. In other words, we don't have to guess what kind of life God expects us to live. Second, His burden is light because He helps us by giving us strength and courage when we need it.
The Bible tells us that God will give us a crown of beauty and a joyous blessing as we walk in righteousness. (Isaiah 61:3). In other words, when we aim to obey Christ there is a God-given grace activated within us that awakens our hearts and enables us to not only live righteously but to also enjoy the beauty of relating to God in holiness.
No one has a life as exhilarating as Jesus. He's been anointed with the oil of gladness more than any other (Ps 45:7). Jesus understands pleasure better than anyone. His life and personality flow out of a heart filled with extreme fascination, wonder, hopefulness, jubilation, and affection. And it's this same Jesus who also invites us to share in the rewards of holiness as we set our hearts and aim our lives to live in affectionate obedience to the Son of God.
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