Obedience

The thread throughout the entire bible points to the initial disobedience of mankind, causing us to fall away from God’s purpose for us, the solution to salvage us from certain death and reconcile ourselves with Him, and the obedience expected from His children.

Please join me for “10 Days on obedience”.
Let us read together as a body and come to the knowledge of how the Lord defines obedience. My prayer is that the Lord will grant us the strength to walk in obedience, knowing that this is the only way we can know God’s purpose for our lives.

Day 1 [15/06/2020]
John 14 v 15 - 26 | 1 John 3 v 11 - 24

We start this journey with a clear instruction when Jesus says that “if anyone loves Him, they will keep His word.” The core of obedience is therefore based around this and lays the foundation and ground rules for what follows next.

We cannot love Him without keeping His commandments – the two are not mutually exclusive. The one is dependent on the other. We cannot consider ourselves to be free in Christ and expect to do as we please. Surely the question now is this. What does it mean to keep His commandments?

Well, when Jesus says, we should love one another, doesn’t He also refer to the law, for if we love one another we would not cause any harm to our neighbour. This also applies to His spiritual law, for if you hate your brother, you have committed murder in His eyes. If you therefore covet your neighbours’ possessions, you have stolen with your eyes and the origin, where all of this takes place is the heart, which is “deceitful and desperately wicked above all things.”

If our heart condemns us, it means we are being convicted by the Holy Spirit. If our heart does not condemn us, we can stand with confidence before the Lord. The only way to do this is through love. Loving the Lord, our God wholeheartedly and loving one another with the same sacrificial love God had (and still has) for us, by laying down His life.

We too are commanded to “lay down” our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ, by loving them in “deed and truth“. Not through mere words, but our love for them should reflect in our actions. This is the only way, you will know you are in the truth, living in obedience, abiding in Him, and He in us through His Spirit. For if you (really) love God, you will also (naturally) love your fellow beings.

Let us evaluate ourselves today. Are we in right standing with God and others? Are we continually keeping His Word, by abiding in and adhering to His commandments. We are under the Law of Christ, the law of Grace. Why would we think for a moment that we are free to live according to the world’s standards and that which is presented to us as the acceptable norm?

Go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to reveal everything in your heart today that is not from Him. My prayer is that He will cleanse your heart, body and mind, renew your spirit and restore your soul. May you long for His Word and may your eyes be opened to the magnificent glory of the Lord.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 2 [16/06/2020]
Hebrews 11 v 8 - 19 | Joshua 14 v 6 - 15 

It was reckoned unto those, who remained faithful, as righteousness. Believing in the promise of a coming Messiah, even though “not receiving the promise” in full yet with their death, having seen Jesus after His crucifixion, as He appeared to them in Abraham’s bosom (Sheol), this great treasure was revealed to them and not to mention Abraham, willing to sacrifice his only son, in obedience to the Lord.

In the original languages, faith and faithfulness is the same word and without faith it is “impossible to please God“, which subsequently means, without faithfulness it is impossible to please God. What is faithfulness then, other than obedience?

God also says that He does not long for sacrifice, but obedience instead. Those who obeyed the Lord while in the wilderness for 40 years, received the promised land and we will too, should we remain faithful to the Lord. This promise of eternal life, the ultimate prize, awaits those who completes the race.

The question many people would ask right about now, is this. Can I not live a righteous life, being fair and just, loving people and treating them with respect and do good deeds, without believing in and being obedient to [a] God?

The answer to that is, yes… and no! You can “love” people and be fair in your dealings with them, but it depends on your definition of love, off course. You can do good deeds, although our good deeds are like “filthy rags” before the Lord. Then, needless to say, no one is good. Not one! Just look around you. We are all sinners and the sooner we realize and acknowledge this the sooner God can work His purpose in our lives.

There are laws, rules and regulations in every aspect of life. There is the law of nature and/or science, the laws of logic, then there are moral laws, the law of conscience, the law of love, etc. We obey these laws (and rules) , to some extent, one way or another, and most of them (if not all) are self-sufficient, i.e. They do not require man to exist. Why do we have such a huge problem with obeying the lawgiver – God who set the standard for these laws to exist.

Having said that, God is love, and would not force you to obey Him, just as a government cannot force you to obey the laws of the country, yet there are always consequences, some as a natural response to our actions, like the law of gravity that is involved when you decide to exercise your free will, when jumping from a building. Just look at those who disobeyed God and longed after others gods. They didn’t inherit the promised land.

Obeying God, shouldn’t be a burden. It is just our flesh, refusing to submit to His perfect will. Work out your salvation (today) in fear and trembling, realizing that sacrificing to an “unknown god”, brings you an inch away from meeting your creator (Acts 17 v 23 – 27) [Berean Study Bible]

My prayer is that if you haven’t had an encounter with the Lord, He will meet with you today. Call on His Name and walk in obedience, according to His purpose for you.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 3 [17/06/2020]
Exodus 19 v 1 - 8 | Numbers 9 v 15 - 23 | Luke 6 v 46 - 49

“If you obey My voice and keep my covenant… you shall be a holy nation…“

Israel was set apart for God, due to the covenant He had made with them, hence all the laws they had to follow to distinguish their worship from the pagan worship that also took place in those days.

God’s people were like a naughty child, wanting to have things their way, so they would moan about the food, for example, yet they never had any shortage, because God Himself provided in their needs. They remained in the wilderness to learn the lessons needed before entering the promised land and so will we, if we do not learn the lessons in order to mature in our faith.

The reward for obeying God, should not be something material, but brings peace and gives us security, knowing He is our rock and fortress. Just look at how they “camped and set out” only when the Lord instructed them to. So when the cloud hovered over the tabernacle, they remained and only moved on when the cloud lifted.

What is the significance about this, you may ask? Obedience!!! Sometimes God does not clearly show us why, but He shows us how. I can testify to things God has instructed me to do that served, first and foremost, as a test of my obedience, besides having to learn the lessons required from the situation.

Obedience also serves a greater purpose and is compared to a man who hears the Lord’s words and acts on them, by building a house on the rock, so that when the storms of life come and crash against the house it will withstand the impact.

Don’t be foolish and ignore the Lord’s commands, His instructions, by building your house on sand. For the storms will come and destroy the house and everything in it. Are you where the Lord wants you to be? Do you only set out when He instructs you to do so?

Listen to His voice by allowing the Spirit to guide your every step and do not simply go ahead and do things impulsively. Do what your hand finds to do, while waiting on the Lord for instruction on what to do and where to go next. Place your hope, trust and faith in Him and He will lead you to the promised land.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 4 [18/06/2020]
Psalms 19 v 7 - 14 | 2 Kings 18 v 1 - 8 | Jeremiah 7 v 21 - 29

What is the difference between us, who have accepted God’s grace, through believing in Jesus, for our salvation and those who were under the law?

With regards to our behaviour – there is no difference, whatsoever!

We too, “walk in our own counsel and stubbornness of heart” and “stiffen our neck“. Why then do we consider ourselves holier as christians, yet our actions show the contrary? We know the outcome of those who said, “Lord, Lord, we did this and that in your name…” [paraphrase].

If we cannot keep the law and we are not saved through (good) works, how do we then obey the Lord and keep His “commandments”? My response is this. By loving Him as much as we ought to through our affection for Him in our heart. He should be our FIRST LOVE.

Trusting in Him, and Him alone, for our salvation and deliverance. Acknowledging our sins and realizing we cannot win God over by doing good, yet our hearts long after other gods. May “the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in the sight of the Lord.“

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 5 [19/06/2020]


Psalms 119 v 9 - 40

“Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.” (vers 38)

Are you a “good and faithful servant” (Matt 25 v 23) [NIV] seeking the Lord continually, meditating on His word and finding delight therein?

Is your “soul crushed with longing” (vers 20) and “weeps because of grief” (vers 28), so much so, that anything else seems like vanity? You are on the right path and your heart is searching for the Lord and nothing else will satisfy you.

Let us bless the Lord today and rejoice in His word and the promises thereof. Treasure His faithful words, because they are true and does not change. Only obedience to God’s word can “produce reverence for Him” and my prayers is that He will open our spiritual eyes and give us understanding beyond that which the human brain can grasp.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ” (Prov 3 v 5 – 6) [KJV]

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 6 [20/06/2020]
Mark 7 v 1 - 22 | 2 Timothy 2 v 8 - 13

What precepts do you hold (on to) in order to please God, yet the greatest commandment, He instructs us to follow, we neglect?

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 25 v 35 – 40) [ESV], knowing that if we do this, if we get it right to some extend, the rest will fall in place, hence saying, “on these the law and the prophets hang.” [paraphrase].

Are we able to keep the law and please God? He clearly states that this is not possible, it never was and therefore the law pointed to the need for a Redeemer. Why would we even attempt to hold onto doctrines that cannot help us to obey God anymore than what a blind person can obey the road signs, therefore needing a guide dog, just like we need the Holy Spirit.

Are we so occupied with attempting to do good, that we forget we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and set free from these man made doctrines that have kept some of us in bondage. “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (Col 2 v 20 – 23)

This scripture refers to certain practices during those times (although the same principle applies today), and by no means give us “carte blanche” to do as “thou wilt“. The ultimate challenge for us as believers, with all the worldly distractions, is to love God, with our whole being. To put Him first, above all earthly things and fleshly indulgences, and the world is full of them..

Should He become our First Love (again), we will naturally love our fellow beings, as a result, just as we would like to be loved. If He is our focus, we wouldn’t have to follow man-made rituals and traditions. Allow God to be your Teacher through the Holy Spirit, revealing the mysteries of Christ, through His Word, and He will lead you into ALL truth.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 7 [21/06/2020]
John 15 v 1 - 17 | Romans 3 v 21 - 31

We are called friends of God, should we abide in Him, which means we abide in His Word and love one another as He loves us. Sounds like a tall order, but as we saw yesterday, this is only the case, when we become distracted and leave our First Love.

How do we even begin to comprehend the creator of the universe, calling us friends? This might sound like a privilege, only for the “elect few“, but that is not the case. Although Jesus is speaking to His disciples, He is also speaking to us today, If we love Him and follow His teachings.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it), “…ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” and the only way we can be justified and reconciled with Him, is through Christ’s blood that was shed on the cross. For this reason, no one has an advantage over the other, besides one beggar showing another beggar where the bread is. We cannot boast and consider ourselves (as believers) an elect few and the reason for this is simple.

God has placed a knowledge of Him, and a longing for Him, in EVERYONE’S heart – because the heart is not just a pump – so that we can decide to either follow Him or reject Him. Should we reject Him, we have our reward and if we choose to accept His undeserved mercy and live according to His will, we will bear fruits and this is our righteousness, that we are justified through faith in Christ.

May His joy be in you and also made complete, so that your life will be a living testimony of God’s grace. May His “love and light” shine through you in this dark and fallen world.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 8 [22/06/2020]
Psalms 119 v 41 - 72

“The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (vers 72)

What do you compare the law of God to? What law – You may ask? The law of Moses? The law of Faith or Grace? Remember, we are not under the law, but under grace (Rom 6 v 14) and through our faith in the Lord Jesus we are freed from the law of sin and death (Rom 8 v 2), so there is no condemnation for those who believe in His death and resurrection unto salvation.

If Jesus said, the law and prophets hang on the greatest commandment(s), then surely His law is written on our hearts, when we love God with our whole being (heart, mind, soul and strength) and our neighbour as ourselves.

The Psalmist says the Lord’s “statutes are his songs in the house of his pilgrimage“. Can we say the same? Do we get up in the early morning hours to spend time with the Lord, through prayer? Do we delight in His Word? Do we make time to listen to His voice, a whisper in the wind? Do you find comfort in His Word?

Is the Lord’s Word your compass? A “lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.” Do you seek direction from Him? Is He your “true north“? If you seek the Lord and struggling to take that first step toward Him, be bold and take the “leap of faith.” He is longing for fellowship with you.

Trust in Him, trust in His word and walk in obedience. Rush to God’s throne of undeserved favour. We cannot wait and come to Him, wanting to be perfect and blameless. He will wash you clean, through the blood of Christ.

If you love God and have taken a bit of detour on your spiritual journey, call out His Name in your darkest hour. He will answer you and direct your path if you submit to His perfect will. May the Lord, our God and Saviour, be your hope and your comfort.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 9 [23/06/2020]
Matthew 5 v 17 - 20 | 1 Peter 1 v 13 - 23 | 1 John 2 v 3 - 11

What is the use of attempting to uphold the law, yet we are no better or even worse than the scribes and pharisees and look what Jesus said to them;

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” (Matt 23 v 27) [NIV]

We are called “as obedient children” to be holy in our behaviour, just like Jesus was holy, because we were redeemed through the blood that was shed on the cross. The religious leaders were not interested in knowing Jesus and constantly looked for ways to have Him arrested, for He “jeopardized their lively hood” through His teachings.

So how do we keep His commandments, by not keeping the law? Firstly, we know it is not possible to uphold the law and for this very reason our sins were atoned for on the cross. Secondly, we cannot do good, for no one is good, not one, and our attempts to do good are like “filthy rags.“

This is the crux. If we say that we love the Lord, we should walk in the same manner He did and adhere to His higher spiritual law, loving one another, as He loves us, willing to lay down our lives for one another. We cannot say we love each other, yet there is hatred and contempt in our hearts.

This was the problem with the pharisees. They considered themselves holier than the people as God’s elect, yet inside they were spiritually dead and their apparent “good works” was nothing more than pretense to gain the favour of the people.

May we not be found guilty of this. Be sober in spirit, with a renewed mind, no longer conforming to the lusts of the flesh as we previously did. Live in obedience and WORK OUT your salvation in “fear and trembling“, for this is our righteousness – Our faith in the saving grace of God, unto salvation, through the death and resurrection of our Messiah, Lord and Saviour, Jesus, Yeshua.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”

Day 10 [24/06/2020]


Acts 5 v 17 - 32 | Philipians 2 v 12 - 18 | Romans 6 v 15 - 23

“…We must obey God rather than men…” (Acts 5 v 29)

To what extend and at what cost will you obey the Lord? This is a serious and tough question.

Are you currently enslaved to sin, in obedience to the “god of this world” and how he dictates what is good and acceptable? Giving in to the “lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the boastful pride of life?” Jesus was very clear when He said, “It is not what goes into the body that defiles us, but that which comes out of the heart.” [paraphrase]

In closing this series we can clearly see how disobedience springs forth from the heart and started with satan when he desired to be like God, and even wanting to exalt himself above the Lord. From history we can clearly see the result of this disobedience, as men started to play god, through dictating what people could believe and how they worshiped, How they should dress, what they may eat, with whom they may get married, and the list goes on.

This disobedience caused man to fall so far away from God, that he gave up part of Himself, and became one of us, in the form of His Son, in order to teach us the Godly principles of His kingdom again and ultimately substituting His life, so we may live.

That which was lost when man sinned against God in the beginning, when they chose to obey satan instead, might be regained – reconciling us with Him, restoring our relationship with Him, bringing us back to the holy place because our High Priest, Jesus, entered the Holy of Holies, once for all.

God being a God of love, would never force us to do anything, as love by implication, means choice. The same way we cannot force anyone to love us and that is why the second commandment – to love our neighbour – is “like unto the first.” For God would never expect us to love Him if we rather choose not too.

Should we then choose righteousness and therefore be freed from sin for which the outcome is death, and become “enslaved” to the Lord, for which the result is obedience and life, not only in this body, but also eternally, our names will be written in the book of life.

Do not hold onto the old life and its damning prospects. Step out into faith, knowing that God is the God of the living and wants us to prosper and thrive in our relationship with Him, delivering us from evil, providing in our daily needs and sustaining our mind, body and soul, while renewing our spirit to walk according to His perfect will.

May His grace ever abound, while we walk in obedience so that we can stand blameless when He returns as a conquering King.

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation”