The Call to Obedience

 

    If you want to see fruit in your salvation, then you have to learn how to be obedient.  It starts with your parents teaching you how to be obedient, but being a Christian takes it to another level.  Jesus taught us how to make our bodies a living sacrifice, so that we will be holy and pleasing to God.  Obedience is true worship lived out.

    Obedience is the mark of a true believer.  It demonstrates the Love of God.  Disobedience displays that you are a liar.  If you belong to God you will be obedient because it means you know His voice.  If you choose disobedient, then you reveal that you are not a true believer.  

    How could a true believer know God's voice and disobey continuously?  The character of a true believer is doing the will of God.  You are not perfect.  You will mess up occasionally, but how quickly you repent tells your relationship with God.  Your walk with Jesus is your testimony of faith.

    Partial obedience is disobedience in God's eyes.  Your way over God's way is always disobedient.  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  Stubbornness and defiance is like a child disrespecting their parents.  God sees it as evil because you display defiance and idolatry to yourself.  Disobedience to God has consequences.  It leads to Him rejecting your role in something bigger and better than yourself: leadership role, position, or favor.

    When you hear God's instructions you can react a few different ways.  The main ones are acceptance or rejection.  You can get excited and follow immediately.  This leads to mercy and kindness.  You can get angry because you don't like His terms.  Getting angry leads to you doing something you will regret one day.  

    When you reject God, then you can't expect Him to listen to your prayers.  You will be forced to face the consequences on your own until you repent and submit to His authority.  If you don't do that, then you are headed to a desolate existence and eternal rejection.  Ultimately, it will always be your choice.  Submitting to God's authority is the best gift you can give Him.  

1 Samuel 15:16-23, Zechariah 7:8-14, Matthew 7:21-23, Romans 6:15-18, 12:1-2, & 1 John 2:3-6