Obeying God (part 3 of a 4-part series)

It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. (Deuteronomy 13:4)

Did you know that you cannot obey God? At least not in your own strength and power. God knew that we could not obey His Word on our own, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to obey for us.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)

Jesus paid the full penalty for all our disobedience (even that which we haven't commited yet). As a result, all that God now requires of His children is that we walk in Christ's obedience. We have been made righteous by Jesus' shed blood, and because we are righteous, obedience ought to come natural to us. We can now obey God out of our love and gratitude for Him rather than out of a sense of obligation to Him.

Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
(1 Samuel 15:22-23a)

Obedience can be considered a form of worship. It's a way that we can demonstrate our love to God.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:15)

Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them." (John 14:23)

This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3-5)

Why we should obey God:

• To receive God's blessing (Genesis 22:18)
• God commands us to (Deuteronomy 13:4; 26:16; 32;46)
• To be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8)
• It is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22)
• That it may go well with us (Jeremiah 7:23)
• We are exhorted to (Jeremiah 26:13; 38:20)
• In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
  (Matthew 7:21)
• To build a strong foundation (Matthew 7:24)
• To become a member of God's family (Matthew 12:50; Luke 8:21)
• It is the key to spiritual wisdom (John 7:17)
• It is essential for fellowship with God (John 14:23;
  1 John 2:17)
• It is our obligation (Acts 4:19, 20; 5:29)
• We are elected to (1 Peter 1:2)
• It is a characteristic of saints (1 Peter 1:14)

We must prepare our hearts for obedience ( 1 Samuel 7:3; Ezra 7:10)

We must pray to be taught how to be obedient
(Psalms 119:35; 143:10)

We must confess our failure to be obedient (Daniel 9:10)

Obedience should be:

• From the heart (Deuteronomy 11:13; Romans 6:17)
• Undeviating (Deuteronomy 28:14)
• Unreserved (Joshua 22:2, 3)
• Willing (Psalms 18:44; Isaiah 1:19)
• Constant (Philippians 2:12)

Obedience to God includes:

• Obeying His voice (Exodus 19:5)
• Obeying His law (Deuteronomy 11:27; Isaiah 42:24)
• Keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
• Obeying the gospel (Romans 1:5; 6:17; 10:16, 17)
• Submitting to authority (Romans 13:1)
• Obeying Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5 [Exodus 23:21])

The Bible is full of great examples of those who loved God and obeyed Him. Here are some examples:

• Jesus (Matthew 3:15; John 14:31; 15:10;
  Romans 5:19; Philippians 2:5-8;Hebrew 5:8; 10:9)
• Noah (Genesis 6:22)
• Abraham (Genesis 12:1-4; 22:2, 3, 12)
• Joshua (Joshua 11:15)
• Elijah (1 Kings 17:5)
• Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:6)
• David (Psalms 119:106)
• Joseph (Matthew 1:24)
• Mary (Luke 2:39)
• Paul (Acts 26:19)

God doesn't want us to obey Him for no good reason. Everything God does is for a purpose. His primary purpose in demanding our obedience is so that He can bless us. With every command of God in scripture there follows a promise. Obedience brings reward.

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.
(Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

Rewards for obedience:

• We will be God's treasured possession (Exodus 19:5)
• So that God will fight our battles (Exodus 23:22)
• So that it may go well with us and our children (Deuteronomy 5:29; 7:12-15)
• So that we may be set high above the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1)
• In order to receive God's favor (1 Samuel 12:14)
• So that we may have long life (1 Kings 3:14)
• So that we may have prosperity and contentment
  (Job 36:11)
• So that we may “eat from the best of the land”
  (Isaiah 1:19)
• In order to be “God's people” (Jeremiah 7:23)
• In order to have authority (Zechariah 3:7)
• In order to be blessed in all we do (James 1:25)
• In order to receive from God (1 John 3:22)
• In order to have the right to the “tree of life” (Revelation 22:14)
• In order to enter into the city of God
  (Revelation 22:14)

Just as there are rewards for obedience, however, there are consequences for disobedience. Since obedience and disobedience are choices we make, we should expect to reap the results of our choices, good or bad.

Consequences for disobedience:

• We will receive the curse of God (Deuteronomy 11:28; 28:15-68)
• We will not enter into the “promised land” (Joshua 5:6)
• God's hand will be against us (1 Sam 12:15; 28:18;
  1 Kings 13:21; Jer 12:17)
• We will be “devoured” (Isaiah 1:20)
• We will experience God's wrath (Ephesians 5:6)
• We will receive God punishment
  (2 Thessalonians 1:8;Hebrews 2:2)

There's even more good news concerning the will to obey. It's one thing to know that we can obey, but it's yet another to realize that we can also want to. God doesn't do anything halfway. When He gave us the command to obey, He also gave us the will to do so.

Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

One day even those who choose not to will be made to obey God.

But the court will sit, and his [AntiChrist's] power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.” (Daniel 7:27)

Wouldn't you much rather learn to obey God because you want to than because you have to?

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