Obedience unto the lord

Disobedience and rebellion are two characters synonymous with the man. It is safe to say the average man is wired to exhibit traits of disobedience.

This is so because even the first man Adam paid no attention to God’s directives. As Christians, we are members of a spiritual government, where God governs us by rules and regulations. To be in the body of Christ, our lives, attitudes and behaviour must align with the tenets of God.

Obedience to God isn’t just a spiritual ritual, and sometimes, it is a test of our faith in God. There will be times we get bedeviled with trials or confronted with temptations, situations that could easily sway our decision to things contrary to God’s commandments. By obeying in these dire situations, we are also exercising a high level of faith in God. Abraham could have easily sacrificed a ram to God after he was directed to use Isaac, but his staunch adherence to instruction was a display of unalloyed faith in God. Rechab’s children were put to test when they were presented the choice to drink wine by prophet Jeremiah. But in strict obedience to their father, they faithfully refused the offer, unknown to them that it was a test (Jeremiah 35:1-19).

Obedience to God is a reflection of our love for Him. We can never truly claim we love God, as Christians, if we can’t follow directives. True love of God comes from doing all we can to be pleasing to Him at all times (1John 5:3-4).

Obedience to God is highly rewarding and vice versa, as stated in Isaiah 1:19-20. Abraham’s obedience to God ushered in unprecedented material blessings into his life, as well as becoming the father of many nations (Gen. 22:15-18). The house of the Rechabites was exalted by God and compensated for passing the test of their faith through obedience (Jer. 35:18-19) Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and the aftermath of that was devastating. They were ousted from the Garden, brought hardship upon themselves, as opposed to the blissful life God planned for them and subsequently death. King Saul flouted God’s directive during the battle with the Amalekites, and the result was calamitous. The kingdom was ripped apart and taken from him (1Samuel 15:18-19, 23, 26, 27-28).

Obedience to God also transcends to the church, doing that which is right within and around the house of God. Real Ministers of God are the mouthpieces of the Almighty to the church. So, following their directives is indirect obedience to God, while doing otherwise is an affront to Him.

To fully enjoy blessings and victory in Christ, we must first fall in line with God’s instructions. We are justified from Satan the accusers of the brethren, when we remain abiding by the Almighty’s dictates and most importantly, we are assuring ourselves a place in heaven for eternity.

• Worship with us @ The Saints’ Gospel Church of Christ – Hand Of Fire. Hand of Fire City, Olowo-Ina Bus Stop, Igando/Ikotun Road, Lagos. Web address: www.tsgcc-handoffire.org.ng [1]. Facebook: “Jacob Shodeinde” Subscribe to our channel on YouTube@: Tsgcc-handoffire. 0811 770 0956. Links: http://www.tsgcc-handoffire.org.ng