by David Brenneman
Life Principle 2: Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
Obedience can be a challenge, especially when we feel tempted to believe that we stand to lose more through our obedience than we might gain. However, obeying God is essential to pleasing Him—not just in times of temptation, but at all times.
When God commands us to obey Him, He’s giving us a principle by which to live. He’s also setting a framework around our lives that forms a hedge of protection from evil.
Can you remember the last time you felt tempted to do the opposite of what you knew God desired for you to do? Most likely, a struggle erupted within your heart. The questions arose: Will obeying God cost me more than disobeying Him? Can I experience greater happiness by committing this sin than I would by obeying God?
When we choose to obey God, we take the way of wisdom. His promises of blessing for obedience far outweigh any possible consequences. He asks us to submit ourselves to Him and leave whatever happens to His loving care.
We must remember that God loves us and is committed to us. He commands our obedience, not because He is a strict taskmaster, but because He knows the devastating affect that disobedience and sin will have on our lives.
Obedience may not be easy—you may receive criticism from others or face fierce obstacles and opposition—but it will always put you in a favorable position before God. He will take care of all that concerns you; therefore, stay on the path of obedience and leave the rest to Him. - from the Bible app Devotional "Life Principles" by Dr. Charles Stanley.
I decided that the Spirit was telling me after finishing my studies through the New Testament to go back through them again rather than going back to the very beginning of things in Genesis. The things that I am now seeing this time around are incredible!
There indeed are things that in all my times reading through the Bible in my life that I am only seeing now.
There's evidence of more to do with how the Disciples really were than what's generally accepted without the study notes. Jesus's comments in a few places in Mark weren't what many have thought them to be and that they were actually said to His Disciples not the people present.
What does this have to do with obedience? Hmm. Everything.
In a later passage we read that Jesus specifically said to the Pharisees and Sadducees to and learn what this means, that He desires obedience over sacrifice.
We can be a flavor of Pharisee or a flavor of Sadducee. We can 'write' our own laws on how we are going to live our lives, what that WILL include and what it WON'T. We can have aspects of this world woven into our lives that have affected our hearts towards our Lord Jesus Christ and not really realize it. To the tune that our obedience is becoming optional to us rather than what the Bible says should be non-optional.
We can because our sin nature doesn't want our obedience to God's Word. It's a smooth talker. It's a literal silver tongued devil in how it crafts what we fall into.
To take the stand to obey God and leave the consequences to Him means we will likely be misunderstood by even those in our lives claiming to be Christians. Why? Because a deeper level of obedience is actually foreign to them.
I love the saying that I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than to stand with the world and be judged by God.
We choose who we are going to follow. Whether it's Jesus or self. The next hurdle is obeying Jesus when the world, and our sin nature, says that His way is nuts. That it will never work that doing things that way will leave you alone and wanting. Newsflash: nowhere does it say that we need to understand in order to obey the Lord. We need to know that obeying is what He wants and obedience is what He should get.
An often repeated analogy of mine is that what can you carry of this world along with your own cross? The right answer is nothing.
We must realize that the Spiritual battle is real and that obedience is a requirement not an option. We need to agree with Jesus on what He has established as sin and sinful practices. We need to quit redefining sin in order to find an acceptable way for it to stay in our lives. There is no tit for tat with obedience. No do this particular thing for Jesus so that you can continue doing what you shouldn't as part of some unwritten deal you want between you and God.
We don't bargain with God in order to tweak our obedience level.
Remember my Dear Reader that EVERYTHING we have said, thought, considered, done, neglected to do, every single atom of our time on this planet will be reviewed before Jesus when we give an accounting of our lives before Him. All the idols we called something else that made us feel good about having in our lives. All the sins we redefined that are still going to be revealed as sins on that day. All the opportunities lost because our self justification of our selfishness won the day.
Again, don't expect others to fully understand your obedience to God's Word. Many who claim to be walking with Jesus are yet still living self-sabotaged lives. They believe that they understand you but truth be known they never got involved in your life to remotely get to know you. As Peter was told so are we all told. "What's that to you? You follow Me!". You obey Me. You go where I send you. You acknowledge what I tell you is truth and adjust your life accordingly.
Obey Me and leave the consequences to Me.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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