One of God’s greatest desires is to heap good things upon His children, but He can do so only for those who are obedient to Him. Though He is a loving Father, He cannot allow Himself to prosper the one who has received His salvation and yet tries to follow the dictates of his own will.
God does not make His will difficult to discern in most cases. His Word clearly states how Christians should live their lives. When His will is not clear, it may be because He wants you to wait or He simply wants you to trust Him for the outcome. He also gives His Holy Spirit to help you understand how the Bible applies to your life.
In Isaiah 48:18, God reveals His desire to greatly bless those who obey Him: “Oh, that you had heeded my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river.” Deuteronomy 5:29 says, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” The thought of John 13:17 runs throughout the Scriptures: “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.”
Why Obey God?
Salvation brings a new allegiance. You are no longer your own, for you have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). Obedience characterizes your life when Christ lives in and through you. Our obedience to God is prompted by our trust in Him and our love for Him. The better you come to know the Lord, the more you will love and trust Him and want to please Him. Before He gave Peter a command, Jesus asked him three times: “Do you love me?” In each case it was not until Peter answered “Yes” that Christ gave His order (John 21:15-17). Only obedience motivated by love for the Lord is real.
Obedience is Rewarding
God promises much to the one who puts Him first. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The path that God has marked out for you to follow is for your greatest good: “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). And He never asks or expects too much (1 Corinthians 10:13). Romans 12:1 instructs you to present yourself completely to God. It is a “reasonable” request, and, when you respond to it, you will find that His will is good, acceptable, perfect and abundantly rewarding. The special joy of more personal fellowship with Christ is in store for those who walk in obedience to His will (John 14:21, 15:10).
Obedience May Cost
Sometimes the will of God, even in the smallest matter, may seem hard to understand. At such times you must remember that the Lord expects you to put Him first: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Though it may sometimes seem costly to put God first, it actually costs more to disobey. Doing what you know is God’s will for you may cost you time or convenience or even provoke misunderstanding and persecution, yet disobedience leads to tragic consequences. You must prepare your heart to be true to the Lord, regardless of what it appears to cost. The three Hebrew young men had to face possible death in a fiery furnace in order to obey God’s command to worship no other god (Daniel 3:16-18).
Obedience to God’s commands is possible for any believer. John says, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). It is not simply incorporating a number of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” but finding the will of God and doing it from the heart. Ephesians 5:17 says, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” This will be possible as you continue to spend time in prayer and in His Word—hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and thinking upon it as it applies to your everyday circumstances.
Obedience Should Be Consistent and Immediate
This fact is evident in the example set by Christ. In Mark’s Gospel, where Jesus is presented as the perfect Servant, the word “immediately” characterizes His actions. David said, “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet unto Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments” (Psalm 119:59,60). Our desire to follow Christ is often reflected by the promptness with which we obey Him. As you study and memorize God’s Word, or as you read it during your daily quiet time, try to apply at the earliest possible moment the truths which He impresses on you. Resolve also to judge and deal with sin in your life immediately.(Ecclesiastes 8:11)
Obedience is not limited to a single act, but it’s a constant attitude of faithfulness and watchfulness. Putting Christ first is more than a series of crisis decisions; it is following through in daily obedience to Him in all things. Just as a guard on sentry duty must never sleep, so the Christian must be alert at all times to know and do God’s will. Our directions come from a Commander who makes no mistakes!
Study Questions:
1. How can we know what God wants us to do? Why is obedience to
God important? What prompts us to obey Him?
2. Does God ever ask us to do more than we are able to do? How do
we know?
3. What does it mean to put God first? Does your life demonstrate that God has first place? If not, what will you do to change the situation?
4. Describe a situation in your life where obedience proved costly. (If you can't think of a personal example, share an example from someone else's life.) What would have been the possible consequences if you had disobeyed? Why, in that instance, did you choose to obey?
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