Daily Bible Study – Immanuel experience…

LEARN and PRACTICE the WORD of GOD

Prepare for Christmas – December 9

Be an obedient child of God

A life of obedience to Christ is the best witness! Too often Christians have used the name “Christ follower” without letting the reality of that statement into the depths of their daily living. As the saying goes, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” Our actions do indeed speak more loudly than our words!

Why Obedience to God Is Important

1. Jesus calls us to be obedient 
In Jesus Christ we find the perfect model of obedience. As His disciples, we follow Christ’s example as well as his commands. Our motivation for obedience is love.

John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

2. Obedience is an act of worship
While the Bible places strong emphasis on obedience, it’s critical to remember that believers are not justified (made righteous) by our obedience. Salvation is a free gift of God, and we can do nothing to merit it. True Christian obedience flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1)

3. God rewards obedience
Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards obedience:

“And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18)
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. (Exodus 19:5)
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28)
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22–25)

4. Obedience to God proves our Love
The books of 1 John and 2 John clearly explain that obedience to God demonstrates love for God. Loving God implies following his commands:

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2–3)
Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. (2 John 6)

5. Obedience to God demonstrates our faith
When we obey God, we show our trust and faith in him:

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3–6)

6. Obedience is better than sacrifice
The phrase “obedience is better than sacrifice,” has often perplexed Christians. It can only be understood from an Old Testament perspective. The law required the Israelite people to offer sacrifices to God, but those sacrifices and offerings were never intended to take the place of obedience.

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22–23)

7. Disobedience leads to sin and death
The disobedience of Adam brought sin and death into the world. This is the basis of the term “original sin.” But Christ’s perfect obedience restores fellowship with God for everyone who believes in him: For as by the one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s [Christ’s] obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

8. Through Obedience, we experience the blessings of holy living
Only Jesus Christ is perfect, therefore, only he could walk in sinless, perfect obedience. But as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from within, we grow in holiness. This is known as the process of sanctification, which can also be described as spiritual growth. The more we read God’s Word, spend time with Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to change us from within, the more we grow in obedience and holiness as Christians:

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! (Psalm 119:1–8)

This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction, or for cutting off your family name.” (Isaiah 48:17–19)

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

9. Obedience unlocks the door to prosperity and the pleasures of life. 

“If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:11).

John 13:34-35  “new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

James 1:22-25 Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.

Ephesians 6:1-3  Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do.  The command says, “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first command that has a promise with it—  “Then everything will be well with you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Revelation 14:12 This means God’s holy people must be patient. They must obey God’s commands and keep their faith in Jesus.

What are the rewards God promises to the man or woman who will keep His commandments?

1. Long Life. Can obedience affect one’s length of days? Look up Deuteronomy 32:46-47; Proverbs 3:1-2. As a general principle, if we will seek to live in the will of God and obey His laws, then our days will be lengthened; but if we break His laws by living careless, intemperate, self-led lives, then our days may be shortened.
2. Protection. There is a wonderful promise in Ecclesiastes 8:5 – look it up! Does it mean that nothing will “go wrong” if we obey God? It means that Romans 8:28 will be fulfilled in our experience. Sorrow, trials and testings will come, but as they come from Him they will never be “evil”, always “good” (Deuteronomy 23:5).
3. Gladness. Read Nehemiah 8:13-17, and notice the last words in verse 17. The most joyful people in the world are those who are constantly seeking to keep God’s commandments and please Him – look up 1 Chronicles 16:27, and compare Acts 2:41 and 46. Obey God and you will discover the secret of abiding joy.
4. Great Peace . Yes, great peace – Psalm 119:165. What a priceless reward this is – to enjoy great peace even in this world of trouble, fear and war (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6-7)!
5. The assurance of salvation. Many Christians lack the assurance of their salvation, but God wants us to know that we are eternally secure in Christ our Saviour (Colossians 3:3). Now look up 1 John 3:24. Keep His commandments, and you will know.!
6. Answer to prayer. There is a wonderful promise in 1 John 3:22, where we also discover why some of our prayers are not answered. If we seek to obey God, He promises to answer our prayers. What a reward!
7. The conscious presence of Christ. Look up John 14:21, and notice that the emphasis is upon the word “show”. The Lord is always with us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5), but we are only made really conscious of His presence when we are obeying Him.
8. Remission of Sin – To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. Acts 10:43
9. Fullness of Joy – But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. John 17:13, Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. John 16:22
10. Gift of Holy Spirit – He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:14
11. The Father’s Love – Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:23
12. Bear much fruit – I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 , But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
13. No more darkness –  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46 
14. Gain wisdom –  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5, Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25
15. Become holy and blameless – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6 
16. Live in freedom – Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 
17. Answered Prayer – Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 

Prayer: Abba Father, I am grateful for Your gracious offer to give me a new heart, one that loves You, one that is tender and responsive to Your voice and one that reflects Your love back to everyone in my life, friend and foe alike. Help us, O God, to be obedient children and help us also to cast out of our hearts and minds all things that might hinder us in a whole and holy love for You. In faith, I take Your word. I receive today a new heart and a new spirit. I will walk with this new heart and care for this new spirit by my commitment to Your Word and by seeking Your face through prayer and worship. Praise You! I pray by the name of Jesus. Amen