My pastor preached an awesome, Spirit-led message on obedience this past Sunday. He cited God's promise in the book of Joshua where God essentially says, "Think constantly on my Word. Hold it in your heart and mind day and night so that you will be careful to do everything it says. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8, my paraphrase)
Notice the requirement that we actually "do" what the Bible says - not merely read it and believe it.
Notice the requirement that we do "everything" the Bible says - not just the parts that are comfortable and that require little personal sacrifice.
So, wishing to allow God to really work in me and change me through the sermons I hear on Sunday mornings, I have been meditating on this concept of obedience this week. I have looked at numerous scriptures in the New Testament that imply the same, basic, mandatory-obedience concept: "We know that we have come to know him if we obey His commands." (1 John 1:3)
A while ago I did a summary of all of Jesus' commands just in the book of Matthew.
Check out my list below:
JESUS’ COMMANDS…
-Don’t hide my light within you. Shine brightly (through good deeds) for me.
-Do not have anger or discord in your relationships. Seek and pursue peace and reconciliation.
-Do not entertain lust. Do not look at a man or woman lustfully.
-Do not divorce – except in the case of adultery.
-Do not swear or make oaths. Be such a person of your word that those measures are not necessary.
-Do not retaliate upon your enemy. Love them, pray for them, and try to bless them.
-Do not be showy or prideful with your acts of righteousness. Do what you do in secret – seeking to please God, not seeking to impress man.
-Give. Do not spend your money on earthly treasures. Do not try to amass earthly treasures. Use your money for things of eternal value. Use your money to build-up treasures for yourself in heaven.
-Pray. Pray for God’s Will, not your will.
-Forgive everyone who sins against you. Be merciful to those who wrong you.
-Fast.
- Don’t spend your time worrying over the temporary things of this life. Let concerns of His Kingdom be first in your mind and agenda. Trust that He then will provide all your temporary needs.
-Do not be critical or judgmental toward your brother. Focus first on your own weaknesses and sins.
-In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Love others like you love yourself.
-Freely give because of how you have freely received.
-Do not be silenced because you are intimidated by man and wanting to be a people pleaser. Be bold in your witness because you fear only God. Be concerned only with pleasing Him.
-DO NOT be an instrument of sin, causing others to sin or leading others into sin.
-Deal SEVERELY with sin, to rid yourself of sin.
-Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with all your strength.
-Attend to the needs of “the least” of people, serving them as if I were serving Christ; understanding that when I ignore and reject them I am ignoring and rejecting Jesus!
-GO and make disciples of all nations.
From this list alone, I am personally convicted about:
1) Continuing to pursue peace with someone who I know is angry with me
2) Checking my motives when I do "acts of righteousness" so that I am not trying to be seen or praised
3) Not trying to pile-up earthly treasures but rather trying to pile-up eternal treasures which will be earned by giving away my time, my resources, & my money to others for the glory of God in their lives
4) Keeping my mouth shut when I want to say critical, judgmental, or slanderous things about others
5) Caring for the needs of the weak, the small, the poor, and those who could never possibly repay me.
6) Making disciples; intentionally investing my life into teaching others to be true followers of Jesus.
I know that I cannot earn God's love or favor through my obedience.
Scripture teaches against that just as loudly as it teaches the requirement of obedience.
Still, I want to be obedient.
My Lord, Savior, Creator, and Judge asks it of me.
I believe that my adherence will produce great and eternal blessing.
What about you? Where do you need to obey today?
:) needed to read this today... thanks sister!
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