It’s ironic that the Lord put on my heart to write about obedience and it took me almost a month to finally do it! Thankfully, God is very patient. When researching this topic I had a hard time grasping what it truly means to be obedient.
Therefore, let’s define what obedience to God actually means before we dig in. Gotquestions.org describes it as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” The website further explains, “dutiful” means it is our obligation to obey God, just as Jesus fulfilled His duty to the Father by dying on the cross for our sin. “Submissive” indicates that we yield our wills to God’s. “Commands” speaks of the Scriptures in which God has clearly delineated His instructions. The “one in authority” is God Himself, whose authority is total and unequivocal. For the Christian, obedience means complying with everything God has commanded. It is our duty to do so.
THE BEGINNING OF DISOBEDIENCE
As we can see through scripture, the fall of man came through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The redemption of man came from the complete obedience through Jesus Christ who was obedient even unto death.
And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8
TRUE CONNECTION
Therefore, the safeguard of disobedience is following, and abiding in, Jesus. We abide by knowing God‘s Word and spending time in His presence. Pastor Francis Chan described the picture of abiding in God like that of a pregnant woman. If we understand it this way, we are completely dependent on the Lord. Just as the vine provides complete sustenance to the branch, it is as if we are continuously connected to the Lord.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
God is the ultimate authority. If we truly know Him, we can’t help but adore Him, and therefore will willingly obey Him. Going through the motions of obedience without a close relationship with Christ doesn’t work very well. We must be honest with God, and ourselves, about our shortcomings and struggles. Humility should always be intertwined with obedience, so we don’t become self righteous or resentful.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Moses was obedient even though he struggled with the assignment God gave him. Sadly, Moses suffered the consequences when he was disobedient to God’s instructions about striking the rock.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in Me, to uphold Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
Numbers 20:7-8, 10-12
I believe Moses’ frustration clouded his judgement on trusting God and glorifying Him for the people’s sake. I can see myself doing the same thing. Often I get frustrated with my circumstances or other people and it clouds my judgement regarding Gods assignment for my life. There have been times when it’s just a simple thing, such as go pray for that person and I don’t want to because it’s awkward or uncomfortable so I resist and make excuses.
In order to be used by Jesus we must be willing to be a little uncomfortable. We are called to be set apart, be different from the world. If we really trust God, why are we afraid of that? Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing as an example to us.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” John 5:19
SUFFERING
But I find this scripture in Hebrews most interesting because it says that Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered.
Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Hebrews 5:8-9
Jesus chose a weak position in order to bring things into the correct submission. How odd. He chose to learn true submission through suffering when He wasn’t guilty but suffered anyway for the benefit of others. A group of people who were undeserving (like myself).
But did you catch the last part of that scripture? It says… to all who obey Him (Jesus)…oof. So Jesus fully obeyed God, and we are to fully obey Jesus. It’s easy to say we obey, but if we look at the stories in the Bible, we can see what a slippery slope disobedience is.
THE CHALLENGE
In the garden, the serpent didn’t tell Adam and Eve to disobey God. He simply made them question what God said. This questioning and twisting of God’s intentions, for them, caused them to be disobedient. The devil enticed them by playing on their fleshy desires.
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
Disobedience starts in a subtle way. Our desire is turned away from God and turned towards the world. That’s why we must be diligent in staying in God’s Word, and continuously abiding in His presence. We must push against our fleshly desires and all the temptations we are faced with in the world.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
Fighting against temptation is suffering. Our flesh continually fights against God’s desire for us. But we can overcome through Christ. This was a very real reality for me when God consistently asked me to lay down drinking wine. I was in torment for quite some time until I released it all to God and clung to Him instead of giving into my fleshly desires.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25
TEMPTATION
Now, those of us who have actually fought through temptation, which is probably most of us, we know being obedient is a lot easier said than done. Confession- it took me two years of fighting with God before I finally gave up wine! But I have learned that when I am truly immersed in God’s Word and continuously praying and coming before Him, fighting against desire is a thousand times easier.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
The truth is most of us can’t handle these temptations. That’s why we need Jesus. When temptation is tormenting us, we cling to the Lord. Then God pulls us through the temptation while we cling to Him.
Sadly because there is such a strong push to water down the true gospel, obedience is being watered down as well. We see examples of disobedience in almost every story in the Bible. I guess we are no different. Therefore, let’s put obedience at the front of our minds, listen to what God is telling us and then act in confidence.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:35-36
BE ENCOURAGED
Keep up the good fight friends. Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t been following God as closely as you should. You’re not alone. But now is the time to stand back up and cling to the Lord. Get back on track and stay the course.
…lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
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