Obedience
Please also see: ‘Relationship with GOD.’
Seek the Truth with all your heart.
Obedience is one of the essential keys in a relationship with Jesus and GOD. Without obedience the relationship is not only incomplete; it is not really a proper loving relationship.
Deuteronomy 28:1-6 ‘If you fully obey the LORD your GOD and carefully follow all HIS commands I give you today, the ALORD your GOD will set you high above all the nations on Earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your GOD.’
The next 66 verses list the consequences - blessings & curses - that would follow, depending on Israel’s obedience or disobedience.
Psalm 25:10 ‘All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of HIS covenant.’
Psalm 37:11 ‘But the meek (obedient) will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.’
Psalm 103:17-18 ‘But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear HIM, and HIS righteousness with their children’s children – with those who keep HIS covenant and remember to obey HIS precepts.’
Proverbs 13:18 ‘Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honoured.’
Matthew 28:18-20 ‘Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This, in general terms, to Christians, means to be a walking example and witness to others; not pushing the Bible down their throats, but ready to discuss GOD at every suitable opportunity; and even leading them willingly into relationship with HIM.
Luke 6:46 Jesus said “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say.?”
John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”
John 14:23-24 ‘Jesus replied “If anyone loves Me they will obey My teaching. My FATHER will love them, and we will come to them and make OUR home with them. Whoever does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own, they belong to the FATHER who sent Me.”
Acts 5:29 ‘Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey GOD rather than mankind.”
This includes living in the Spiritually expanded meaning of the Ten Commandments.
Galatians 5:22-23 ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's presence in the life of a Christian.
They are evidence, and exhibition of the way of life of those who are filled with The Holy Spirit, especially the last of the nine, which is ‘self-control.’ One cannot be obedient without that.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ‘For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretensio0n that sets itself up against the knowledge of GOD, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.’
Hebrews 3:15-19 ‘As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear HIS voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom HE was angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did GOD swear that they would never enter HIS rest, if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.’
1 John 2:4-6 ‘The person who says, “I know HIM, but does not do what HE commands is a liar, and the truth is not in them. But if anyone obeys HIS word, GOD’s love is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in HIM: Whoever claims to live in HIM must walk as Jesus did.’
1 John 3:21-24 ‘Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before GOD and receive from HIM anything we ask, because we obey HIS commands and do what pleases HIM. And this is HIS command: to believe in the Name of HIS Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.’
GOD mostly communicates with us in very subtle ways. Be keenly aware of, and responsive to HIS urgings for you to do or not to do something that may not fit in with your intentions; or was something that had never entered your mind.
So if you become aware of promptings – urgings – thoughts - that won’t go away; be obedient to them, and GOD will bless you.