The Freedom Of Obedience

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8

The word “obedience” often strikes fear in the hearts of many immature Christians because they think that God is going to take away all the fun and pleasure from their lives. Quite on the contrary, obedience to God brings with it great freedom and blessing.

Firstly, obedience keeps our relationship with God open and free. In the Garden of Eden, God wanted Adam to live by revelation knowledge, which is the highest form of knowledge. Yet, Adam disobeyed God and went after the knowledge of good and evil. The results were disastrous. Adam’s relationship with God was severely damaged and he started walking in fear and doubt. That holy innocence and open communion with God was cut off. Sometimes we have the illusion that freedom is doing anything we want. But true freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do. The restrictions God gives us are for our good, helping us to avoid evil. We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to get hit by it to realize it is a foolish thing to do so. Don’t listen to Satan’s temptations. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.

Secondly, obedience to God often keeps us from harm. God promised that if the Israelites obeyed Him, they would be free from the diseases that plagued the Egyptians (Ex. 15:26). Little did they know that many of the moral laws God later gave them were designed to keep them free from sickness. For example, following God’s law against prostitution would keep them free from sexually transmitted diseases. God’s laws for us are often designed to keep us from harm. Modern medicine is now acknowledging what these laws had assumed for the past thousands of years. If we want God to care for us, we need to submit to His “prescription” for living.

Thirdly, obedience to God is pleasing to Him. Many people think that prosperity and success comes from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity, which God teaches us in Scripture, goes against such criteria. He told Joshua that to succeed, he must (1) be strong and courageous, (2) obey God’s law, and (3) constantly meditate on the Word of God (Josh. 1:8). What’s harder than getting to the top is having the character to stay at the top once you get there.

Fourthly, obedience to God leads to peace. Asa’s reign was marked by peace because he “was careful to obey the Lord his God” (2 Chr. 14:1-2, TLB). In your case, obedience may not always bring immediate peace with your enemies, but it will bring peace with God in your soul. Obeying God is the first step on the path to peace.

Similar Posts:

• Freedom From Legalism
• Delivered From Fear
• The Fear Of God
• A Better Covenant
• Every Work Will Be Judged