Obedience Process

 

    You will never be able to make God happy until you build a strong foundation in the way that He has instructed it to be built.  You have to make the time to learn God's expectations, love, and instructions to be able to live the life meant for you.  If you neglect to learn, then you will never be able to please God and life will feel like something is missing.  

    True foundation is built on faith in Jesus.  He is the foundation for security, righteousness, and strength.  It takes a long time to build a proper foundation.  Once it is constructed, then everything else moves fairly quickly.  You have to understand who you are in relation to Jesus.  You have to know what you believe and why.  You have to be able to glorify God in all situations.  You need this to be ready to follow no matter what the world throws at you.

    Faith is a commitment to walk with God in obedience.  You don't have to be a scholar to obey God.  At the same time you should not be content with salvation with no growth.  God knows you thoroughly.  He wants you to get to know Him in a similar way.  If you journal, then you can see your growth over time.  You should not be where you were 5 years ago. 

    As you grow in your relationship with God your life should reflect the truth found in God's Word.  Test your life to His Word to see where adjustments need to be made. Is your lifestyle meeting God's approval?  Do you even think about Jesus at all in your day?  How can you have fellowship with God if you don't even think about Him in your day?

Matthew 6:34-35 & Colossians 3:1-4

Obedience Utilized

 

    Salvation is something only those that know, know.  It is a spiritual rebirth that changes something in you that you can't explain.  It gives you freedom to start fresh.  Nothing physically changes.  Your scars are still there.  You look the same.  However, you are different.  The primal part of you died and the Holy Spirit brings forth life in the places that were void.  You know the parts of you that make you feel empty or that you are missing something.  

    Your salvation is the catalyst to true obedience to God.  You will never really be able to make God happy if you don't truly believe.  Obedience is your choice.  He will never force you, but He also will not spare you the consequences if you reject Him.  Obedience to God is faith.  It starts with salvation, then Baptism, maturing, and then being a disciple.  Many people stop at salvation or baptism.  They have no idea what they are missing out on.

    Utilizing obedience is embracing it to please God.  You get a freedom that the world will never be able to provide.  Everything the world gives you is a counterfeit to what God is trying to give you.  You personally utilize obedience by spending time with God.  This is part of the maturing process.  If you are truly invested, then it never gets boring.  Today there are so many ways to help you study too: bible apps, bible dictionaries, commentaries, bible studies, books on culture and history, and more.

    Start utilizing the resources that you have.  As the Holy Spirit makes you hungry for certain avenues of study, then you can spread out.  The point is to seek the truth, closeness to God, and your identity in Him.  Focus on the passage(s) that you are reading today.  What are they telling you?  

    What are you willing to let die or give up for your relationship with Jesus?  He freed you from sin.  Will you still act like it has the control or will you release yourself from the chains he unlocked?  He is clearing the path for you.  Will you follow?  It is okay that the journey is not perfect.  It reveals things to you.  The point is to learn, get up, and keep following Jesus.  You will face temptation, but you don't have to fall for it.  If you stay on your path, then the Holy Spirit will give you an escape from sin even when there are none.

Romans 6:1-7:6, Colossians 3:1-4, & 1 Peter 2:21-25

Obedience Clarified

 

    Obedience is needed in life for several reasons: society, function, order, and sometimes protection.  As a Christian you need to learn God's voice.  It is not audible, but it is there.  You need to know the Holy Spirit's whisper among the chaos in your mind.  You need to know it is different than the whispers of Satan or you will be vulnerable to all types of manipulation.

    You learn God's voice in the Bible.  He will never lead astray.  If you are hearing something that goes against what you find in the Bible, then you know it is not God's voice.  When you know God's voice you can start being obedient.  You can really trust your citizenship in Heaven.  Christians, you are in the family of God.  You never have to doubt that or feel insecure in His love.

    When you feel secure in your relationship with God you are able to love better.  If you are able to love purely, then you are able to be obedient.  True obedience stems from real love.  The more you invest into your relationship with God, the more clear this becomes.

    How do you know what is true?  When doing your Bible study take some time throughout your life to learn the original context of the Bible: language, dialect, how it was translated, culture, and more.    Certain words could just be a part of a passage.  Finding the roots will give them deeper meaning.  It will help you dig in to discover the truth for yourself.  The truth gives what you do in life meaning.

    As you embrace obedience to God it will help you embrace obedience to people.  People are flawed, so there will always be a struggle being obedient to those whom do not align with your beliefs.  Just remember that God put them where they are for a reason and a season.  You may never understand why, but do not allow people to deter your obedience to God.  

    God gave you mercy, so try to love and give other people mercy too.  It is better to love than go through the motions of being obedient.  It is better to be obedient than to sacrifice.  The motivation and heart matter.  Your heart will be revealed in time for all to see.

John 10:25-30, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Philippians 3:17-21, Colossians 3:1-4, & 1 Peter 1:3-5

Observed Obedience

 

    Sin is a natural state for humans.  You inherited the desire to sin.  However, God calls you to be obedient.  It is an internal battle that will drain you until you learn how to submit and change your desires.  With sin comes death.  Death is one of the only certainties of life.  How you spend your life is your choice.  You can allow sin and death to consume you like cancer to the point where you spend eternity in torment.  Or you can choose obedience that starts with salvation and have eternal paradise.

    Learning how to be obedient is not as simple as it sounds.  It starts with salvation.  Then you learn how to submit by learning who God is.  As you understand His character the more you are drawn toward obedience.  The truth has a way of putting things into perspective that makes life simpler.  Building your salvation on the foundation of truth gives you the strength to follow Jesus.

    You discover the truth about everything that matters in God's Word.  You discover a love that you have never experienced anywhere else.  Salvation brings immediate justification, but it is only the beginning of the purification process.  You have to change the way you think and view life to become more pure in time.  Salvation gives you sanctification, but you have to maintain it.  It is not a one time prayer and expect to be perfect in God's eyes.  It is the beginning on learning on how to be obedient.

    Salvation gives you glorification because you have defeated death.  Now you have to defeat your desires that lead you toward death.  It takes spending time in God's Word, prayer, meditation, fasting, and worship.  The alternative to salvation is eternal separation from God.  Salvation links you to Jesus to the point you know that when your time comes you will be resurrected like he was, but in Heaven.  

    Jesus changed everything.  He is still changing lives today.  Believer, declare your faith, and follow him into righteousness.  You become a new creation where the Holy Spirit can dwell.  He helps you become blameless.  He teaches you how to be obedient in a way that pleases God.  

Psalm 103:7-18, Romans 6:20-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Galatians 2:17-21, Ephesians 2:4-7, Philippians 3:7-11, & Colossians 1:21-22, 3:1-4

Obedience Foundation

 

        Building a strong foundation in your faith is wise.  Part of a strong foundation is learning obedience.  It works hand in hand with self-discipline.  It is taking ownership and responsibility over your decisions, actions, and words.  It is easier to do with a clear conscience when you know who you are in Jesus.  It helps you make better life decisions, choices, and relationships that glorify him.

    A foundation built on truth is strong.  It drives you to have relationships with fellowship and pushes you to live boldly.  A foundation built on truth accepts encouragement to do good, correction with you mess up, and exhortation. It helps you identify the lies easier.  Life is very confusing when you can't tell the truth from the lie.  

    What you believe directly influences your actions and attitude.  Base what you believe on the truth and it will cut out so much confusion in life.  It builds confidence and assurance.  Take the time to really build a strong foundation.  It means you can't build for a longer period of time, but the foundation will not crumble under pressure, shaky ground, or anything else.  You will be able to stand firm.  You will have understanding.  You will be able to enjoy the process better.  Do not rush growth.

    Building a strong foundation takes time.  It take patience.  You have to be willing to ask the hard questions.  You have to be willing to be wrong and change your viewpoint.  It is an opportunity to have an incredible life, but you have to be willing to do things differently.  

    Your foundation is your theology.  It will result in a strong spiritual life, neutral, indifferent, or non-existent.  Your theology matters.  It all starts with your mind and heart.  Actions (obedience or disobedience) are the result of your theology.  It is based on your relationship with God and getting closer to him instead of being right.

Psalm 90:1-2, Daniel 2:17-23, Matthew 15:3-9, John 14:6, Romans 11:6-7, & Colossians 1:9-10, 3:1-17

Responding Obedience

 

    No matter how good you think you are you cannot save yourself.  Comparing yourself to other people may make you feel better about yourself, but it doesn't change the fact that you need faith in God's mercy displayed in Jesus to have salvation.  There is no other way.  Your path to this truth will not look like anyone else's path, but it has to lead to Jesus.  It is personal and it is real.  You see his sacrifice for you and you respond through faith to commit the rest of your life to him.

    You compare your life to Jesus' to see how much you really need him.  His obedience led to your freedom.  He was tempted, but never sinned.  You sinned before you even knew what sin was.  Jesus came into this world to live it exactly how he did in obedience to God.  He never lost focus of his purpose.  He is the only one truly good enough to make it to Heaven.  His obedience made it where you are able to be righteous through faith.

    As a Christian you choose to be obedient to God because you are responding to His grace.  Take the time to evaluate your life and pray over it.  Listen to the Holy Spirit to see what He is trying to tell you today.  Is there anything you need to change, repent, or do to be obedient to God's will.  How is what you are learning about God affecting your life today?  Do you respond to God's grace or do you ignore it?  Do you see the truth?

    Give up the control.  Allow God to take over.  Your stress levels will go down and your peace will go up.  You will never be able to control other people or circumstances.  All you can control is how you respond.  Do not feel like you have to prove yourself.  God already knows who you are.  He has already paid the dept.  You only have to accept it.  In response to His love, grace, and mercy comes obedience.  

Judges 2:16-17, 1 Samuel 15:20-23, John 14:15-21, Philippians 2:6-8, & Hebrews 5:7-10

Obedience in Grace

 

    Salvation has nothing to do with how good you are.  You will never be able to earn your way into Heaven.  Salvation is an act of grace that motivates you to change.  Change is not a requirement.  It is a biproduct of you becoming something new. To follow Jesus you focus on grace and loving like him, not being perfect or checking off a list that makes you feel good.

    Instead of trying to be perfect focus on your relationship with God.  The Holy Spirit will work in you to make the changes that make you obedient.  It doesn't mean life is a chore or boring.  It means you can find delight in the small things and see the benefits of becoming obedient.  You will start to desire to want to do what pleases God naturally without being forced.

    Obedience in grace is working out your salvation.  You spend time in God's Word and prayer to figure out what you believe and why.  God's grace is what saved you through faith.  You are obedient in your faith, so grace is continuing it's work in you.  You learn how to incorporate grace into your life where it becomes a part of who you are.  It is between you and God, but the world gets to see how it changes you over time.

Romans 15:14-19, 1 Corinthians 15:10-11, Philippians 1:3-6, 2:12-13, Colossians 3:18-25, & Titus 2:11-15