Obey God
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The Call To Obey
The Call To Obey
The Scriptural call to Obey God is just as important today as ever before.
We Live in a time in history unlike any other. We have access to more information than ever before. We have the ability to travel like never before. We have more access to leisure activities and ways to waste time than ever before. You would think that with all the ease and comfort that God has given us that we would be progressing as a people. You would think that we would be hyper focused and willing to follow God and the commands he has given us in scripture. Yet for all the comforts and all the ease of modern life that we have somehow we seem to be going backwards morally, philosophically, intellectually,emotionally and spiritually. Why is this the case? Much of it has to do with our own self centeredness. We seem to think we have all the answers. Even as Christians we tend to think we know it all.
And everyone did what was right in their own eyes is a refrain we see numerous times in the book of Judges. Whats happening now in our time has happened before. In Ecclesiastes the preacher tells us there is nothing new under the sun. Just as those who were living in the time of the judges in Israel we are acting like we have no King. So we just do whatever we think is right.And that my friends is a slippery slope thats going to lead us straight down the path of damnation. We have a King who is right now seated on his throne acting on our behalf as an advocate for the forgiveness of our sins and his name is Jesus, He has gifted us with a path and a guide for us to follow in living these lives he has given us and all we need to do is believe and OBEY.
Now Godly obedience to the word is first and foremost obedience to God.
What do i mean by that?
We are told in Hebrews 1:1-2 That God at various times and various manners spoke to us through the prophets but in theses later days he has spoken through his son.
now you take this verse along with 1 Peter 1:19 in which the apostle says; And we have the more sure prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning stat arises in your hearts
he goes on to say “ know first that no prophecy of svripture comes by ones own interpretation. for no prophecy was ever made by the will of man but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
This gets me to the first point this morning.
Do not let anyone tell you or mislead you into believing they have special revelation from God that no one else has seen or heard that comes from outside scripture. We are obedient to the word of God because it is the more sure word, It is trustworthy and reliable. It was written true prophets and apostles who were commissioned by God through Christ and the canon is closed.
So our obedience goes to the God who wrote the Bible and not to some kook who tells you that God spoke to them as they were out on their porch sipping their morning beverage or any other time or place.
Biblical Obedience:
Obedience is defined as dutiful or submissive compliance to the command of one in authority.
Using this definition we see the elements of Biblical obedience. “Dutiful”means that it is our obligation to obey God just as Jesus fulfilled his duty to the father for dying on the cross for our sin.
“Submissive” indicates that we yield our wills to Gobs commands speaks of the scriptures in which God has clearly deliniated his instruction.
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 yo do so.
Having said that , it is important to remember that we do not obey God merely out of obedience but that we obey God because we love him. Also, understand that the spirit of obedience is just as important as the act of obedience.We serve the Lord in humility, Singleness of heart and love.
Being obedient to God and his word has been a problem for us since the Garden. Adam and Eve disobeyed Gods direct explicit command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A simple command. Just think about it. Just for a moment place yourself in that situation. God has put you in a paradise. he has provided everything you need for an abundant life. No worries, no dangers, no fear of wild animals. He has given you and your wife dominion over all the animals and every plant and every bug. There are no diseases to come along and make you ill or even worse kill you. everything was perfect. and all you have to do is follow this one simple explicit commmand. you have eat of all the trees except this one.
Do you think you could follow that command and not be disobedient? We all like to think we could or would.
But consider where we are in this world today. consider all the times we have given in to the temtations of this world. and then realize that you and i are just like Adam and Eve. we fail in obedience on a monthly,weekly.daily or even an hourly basis.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh we donot war according to the flesh,for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but diviely powerful for tearing down strongholds,as we tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.and are ready to punish all disobedience,whwenever your obedience is fufilled.
what Paul is saying in this section is that although we walk in the flesh the things that cause us to stumble are the spiritual forces of Satan and his demons and that there is no fleshly way to defeat this spirit of disobedience. Our only hope is Christ Jesus and the spiritual forces of good that he fights for us when we repent and put our faith in him and him alone.
This is my second point. We cannot walk in obedience on our own. it is ony in Christ,relying fully on his that we can ever hope to defeat the spirit of disobedience and walk in the obedience that God commands and deserves.
We have a book. It is our guide to tell us how to live in submission and obedience. Are we going to stumble from time to time? Yes absolutely. But, if we confess to him our sins he is faithful and just to forgive them. 1 john 1:9
Jeremiah 7:23
But this is what i commanded them saying; obey my voice, and i will be your God and you will be my people and you will walk in the entire way which i command you, that it may be well with you. In his commentary on this passage Matthew Henry said this:
This is the sum and substance of what was then commanded, even obedience to the moral law; this was the main and principal thing enjoined and to which the promise was annexed. The word of the Lord,his commands, the precepts of the decalogue;obedience to which was preferable to the sacrifices of the ceremonial law. This word is also spoken in 1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said Had Yahweh as much delight in sacrifices and burnt offerings as in obeying the voice of Yahweh/Behold to obey him is better that sacrifice,
Now back to Henry’s commentary: the meaning is that while they were obedient to him, he would protect them from their enemies, and continue them in their privileges and blessings, which he has bestow upon then as his peculiar people. Not only in some of then but in all of them not merely in the observance of legal actions, but chiefly in the performance of moral actions, even in all duties of religion, in whatsoever is required in the law respecting God and man, that they might continue in the land that was given to them for an inheritance, and enjoy all the blessings promised to their obedience.
Nothing has changed in our day and time. God does not merely request but in fact requires our obedience that we too may continue on in the blessings that he gives to his people. The apostle John references this same command in his first epistle chapter 3 verses 23 and 24 when he writes;
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he gave a commandment to us. And the one who keeps his commandments abides in Him and He in him.We kmow by this that He abides in us by the spirit he gave us.
Which bring me to my final point. Brothers in sisters in we are not attempting to walk in obedience to the express commands lais out by Him in His Word. Then every single one of us including myself, including every single person who claims the name of Christ as a Christian from the highest church official to Pastors.Deacons,teachers and every lay person in the church needs to examine ourselves and ask the question. Am i really saved?Am i really a child of the father in Heaven. Or am i just going through the motions to keep up appearances? WSe are the only ones who can answer these questions in ourselves.
Just one more thing. i have talked about being obedient to God for several years in different fellowships and church settings. and i have yet to speak of this without at least one person claiming im being a legalist.
i did not just turn a blind eye to this charge. As one who has accepted the call of teaching and preaching the Word of God i have to take every charge seriously or else i would be remiss in the duty i have been called to.
Although i know that charges of legalism have become a very popular way that people dismiss one who confronts them in Gods name. we must always be watchful and always be examining ourselves in the light of scripture to be certain we are maitaining the integrity of the Gospel.
The word legalism does not occur in the Bible.It is a teerm Christians use to describe a doctrinal positionemphasizing a system of rules and regulations for achieving both salvation and spiritual growth. Legalists believe in and demand a strict literal adherance to rules and regulations.Doctrinally it is aposotion essentially opposed to grace Grace. Those who hold to a legalistic posotion often fail to see the real purpose of the law.Especially the purpose of the Old Testament law of Moses. which is to be our schoolmaster or tutor and to show us and convict us of our sin. Even treue believers can be legalistic. we are instructed rather to be gracious to one another. Romans 14;1 tells us to Accept those who are weak in the faith without passing judgementon disputable matters But sadly there are those who feel so strongly about non essential matters that they will run others out of their fellowship,not even allowing the expression of another viewpoint.
That too is legalism.Many legalistic believers today make the error of demanding unqualified adherance to their own biblical interpretationsand even to their own traditions. For example there are those who believe that to be spritual one must simply avoid alcoholic beverages, tobacco, dancing,movies,etc. The truth is that avoiding these things is no guarantee of sprituality.