The gospel is our inclusion in life that Jesus lives and the favor He lives under. Obedience does not earn God’s favor because Jesus has already earned the place of favor. Our obedience simply positions us to participate in the full measure of the favor on His life. We are in union with Christ, and he is our life, and expectant obedience postures us to experientially participate in our union with Christ and the favor He lives under.
Let me ask you this question; do you want to know increasingly God’s blessing on your life, or do you want to experience in the next moment the full blessing of God that is on the life of Jesus? Personally, I don’t want to experience progressive favor on my life when I can fully experience the measureless favor that is on the life of Jesus right now. Jesus has come to live His life through us, but we can only experience that life as we continually surrender to His agenda. We can’t expect to demand our way when Jesus is going in another direction and experience the dynamic of His life being lived through us and the favor that is on Him. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus told the servants to get the 6 water pots and to fill them with water. John 2 says they filled them to the “brim.” I believe they filled them to the brim because they excitedly anticipated that Jesus was going to do something supernatural with every drop. That attitude is at the heart of faith-filled obedience. Do you obey God out of obligation or out of excited anticipation, expecting that Jesus is going to fill every drop of your obedience with supernatural favor. As I said earlier, our obedience does not earn favor; it just postures us to participate in what Jesus is doing and the supernatural favor He walks in. Always offer Him brim–filled obedience expecting brim–filled favor because that’s the life that Jesus lives.