awww, do i have to?

this paragraph stimulated me this morning. it comes from today in my utmost for His highest by oswald chambers. here is what it says

"Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart - Jesus Christ, not religion. But woe is me if after seein Him i still will not obey. Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if i don't, I have already begun to singn the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, 'I will not obey,' He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God's grace what and abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But woe is me is I refuse the light."

so where does obedience play in to our walk with Christ. i have heard so many times that God is a gentleman and does not press himself on you and i was so confused because i know that he pursues with a burning passion but i guess that was really on the right track. pursuing and pressing are two different things. God desires our obedience to come from our love and affection not from our obligation. that is why he asks peter if he loves him, then feed his sheep. he did not say by feeding my sheep you will show me that you love me. everything that we do must stem from our love for Jesus. he did not come and die out of obligation to God the Father rather he did it out of his love for the Father and his love for us. but on the other hand a love that is not followed with a devotion to Jesus is empty. there are so many people today screaming that love is the only way and their love turns into tolerance. people are willing to scream love but they are not willing to scream devotion to the one who loved them first. Jesus has got to be at the forefront of all we say, do, and represent. love Jesus, surrender to him, love people
love and serve
jj