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Obey All the Way |
Hi everyone. Our memory verse this week is
Rom. 13:1 about our obedience to government. When we obey our
local, state and federal laws, we are obeying our Savior.
Always, of course, keep in mind that we must obey God rather
than men when two demands conflict. Here is some more
information on obedience. We are looking at Jesus' temptations
in the wilderness from Matt. 4:1-11. Let's look at some simple
lessons.
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The word gives us power to obey. One of the
amazing contradictions in our world is the constant attempt by
people (Christians and Christian wannabe’s) to claim obedience
to God without knowledge of the word of God. I met a priest on
one occasion who said he was obedient to God and then said that
studying the word was not part of his work as a priest. I have
met some who have been Christians for decades who cannot answer
biblically whether or not it is alright to use instrumental
music with songs of worship. Jesus was not at doubt about what
was right for him to do. He knew what the word said. David said
that knowledge of the word can keep us from sin (Ps. 119:11).
When we know it, we know how to obey God.
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The word gives us excuse to obey. That sounds
like a strange way to put it. Sometimes, when our children were
growing up and not yet able to stand strong on their own, we
would give them an excuse to enable them to do right. When
their friends would ask them to participate in a wrong or
questionable activity, we told them they could refuse to do it
and blame us. That is, they could tell their friends that their
parents would not allow it. It made obedience easier when they
were feeling personally weak. The Bible does the same for us.
When we are being persuaded to do something we are not sure is
right, and we are feeling the peer pressure, then it is right to
say, “My God would not want me to do that,” or “The Bible
teaches me that is not right,” or “I do not believe Jesus would
do that.” All of these statements are properly based when we
know what the word says. The Bible gives us an excuse to obey.
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God’s word is to be obeyed in the most
difficult of circumstances. We sometimes think that too many
hardships come our way when we always follow the Bible or to
many to even think about following the Bible. Jesus had been
forty days without food. The devil tempts him to prove who He
really is by the simple act of making a little bread that he
desperately needed. Circumstances do no determine right or
wrong. God’s word does. Our awareness of God’s word will gives
us strength and remind us that we are not in the battle alone (1
Cor. 10:13).
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We must learn and study all of God’s word lest
we fail to obey some part of it. Jesus said man must live by
“every word.” Paul was sure to declare the “whole counsel of
God” in trying to persuade men to obey God (Acts 20:26, 27, 31).
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We must “rightly divide” God’s word if we are
to be sure in our obedience. Twice Satan use scripture to get
Jesus to follow his words. Twice Jesus rebutted the scripture
with other scripture. You and I know that the Bible does not
contradict itself. We must study the word diligently so that we
know how to harmonize the scriptures with each other. This will
help us be solid in our obedience and we will be able to help
others (1 Pet. 3:15). Someone who knows Eph. 2:8, but not 1 Pet.
3:21 does not know all that is needed to be obedient to God.
I hope this helps your study tonight.
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Studies by Mike Glenn |
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