God says in His word that He desires obedience above sacrifice. He says that he desires love above great sacrifice, or great gifts or great anointing.
He first loved us so we could love Him. Love is first. Love is the beginning.
Obedience that is out of that first love is not burdensome, and it is how God imparts His love into our lives.
OBEDIENCE IS THE MEANS TO BLESSING
Obedience is the means by which God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit within us responds to obedience. Through obedience He sanctifies our lives from within the depths of the heart. He transforms us from within into His likeness as we obey the commands and the voice of God. The resurrected Jesus is born in us more and more when we obey. It is the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus that stabilizes our lives in victory regardless of our circumstances in life. God deposits more of Himself in you as you obey.
INSIGHT FROM SCRIPTURE
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” – I Samuel 15:22
“Who ever keeps His word truly the love of God is perfected in him.” – I John 2:5
“Faith works through love.” – Galatians 5:6
“And faith comes by hearing: and hearing comes by the word of the Lord.” -Romans 10:17
“But faith without works or obedience is dead like a body without a spirit.” – James 2:17-26
These scriptures are very plain and simple. God desires simplicity. He says if you will hear and obey My ways, My will, My written commands and principals; and if you will obey My voice from within or coming from another, then I will pour My love into you heart and through that love genuine faith will be added to you. When we obey from fear it is works, but when we obey out of love it becomes a mighty resurrection force within us that can be released with effectiveness toward others. To obey is to walk in a spirit connection with the Holy Spirit who is our Divine companion for eternity.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God.” – Romans 8:14
“For as we have been united together in the likeness of His death certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” – Romans 6:5
OBEDIENCE REQUIRES DYING
If we choose to obey the Lord, then we will have to deny the fleshly nature in us. We cannot live by the spirit and obey the demands of our body, or our soul that desire to dominate our lives. The mind, emotions and will are the dominating force in our lives until we are born again by God’s Holy Spirit. Your body gets it’s way most of the time. It is only possible to have real life now and eternal life with God by a second birth. This second birth requires life to be lived in Christ by the will of the Spirit. Therefore a disciple of Christ must daily nail the flesh to the cross every time it demands its way and let it die. Jesus will replace it with His Divine resurrected nature as we ask and believe. The resurrected Lord in us is our victory. And there is no resurrection without death. So obedience at the times when everything in you screams to have its own way is the pathway to experiencing a crucified life of love and power. It is in this path that you find life, that you know your God, and that you will encounter His supernatural power in your life and service to Him.
“Do you not no that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.” – Romans 6:3
“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus might also be manifested in our body.” – 2 Corinthians 4:10
SAVED BUT NOT BLESSED
We can be saved and not blessed with the richness of that salvation because we really do not walk in an obedient lifestyle pleasing to the Lord. How we obey is an integral key to blessing. It is the human nature to think it is only the big things in life that we must obey, but God desires obedience in every small detail of our lives. Obey when your actions or words are misunderstood. Obey when it seems the opposite of what we want to do. Obey when it takes great patience and resilience. Obey when it is not seen or understood by anyone. Obey especially toward your spouse and family as you would any one else. Your home is no place to let your flesh have its way. Your marriage relationship and children is the most important place to walk in the Spirit and not obey the desires of the flesh. Obey when it feels impossible to do.
“Be not be deceived, God is not mocked; for what a man sows he will also reap.” – Galatians 6:7
To obey His ways we must read His Word and do it. To experience transformation we must hear His voice and obey it. The Lord reveals to me that I must obey without delay for the greatest anointing. And it must be all the way, not half way obedience. Saul obeyed some but not everything he was told to do. Therefore Saul lost blessing. The favor of God comes from obedience to all He asks of us through His grace every day. His grace is upon us to empower us not to excuse us. Of course there is grace and mercy and forgiveness with God. But do we often times fail to confess honestly and repent in order to receive that forgiveness. We can deceive ourselves and disobey our own conscious. We grow insensitive to our own obedience and therefore to the Holy Spirit.
TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS
We must live a life of humility to pray and seek the Lord and often fast in order to see ourselves in truth. God requires truth from the inward parts. And our only safeguard against deception is the “love of” the truth. (2 Thess. 2:10)
That means we love the truth at all cost. This is the pathway to righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is the pathway to the Kingdom of God manifested within the life of a true disciple of Christ Jesus and demonstrated without as led by the Holy Spirit. The alternative is living in the wilderness of the soul power, which is exhausting and has no capability of agape love or supernatural power. We will never produce God life from man’s traditional religions. We produce God life only through His Holy Spirit.
Let’s pray this prayer together if out of love for Jesus you desire to please the Lord above all:
Lord I humble myself now and ask you for more grace to obey your word and your voice without delay. I want to obey all the way, not half way and to obey you every day in all the details and relationships of my life, especially those dearest to me. I know your mercies are brand new every morning as I come to you humbly in faith. Help me to obey your voice in my spirit and Your written word to me. Help me know and obey your ways, your mind, your heart and your will for me; not out of fear but out of love for you. Awaken more love in me, awaken more abandoned love, consuming love, and capture my whole heart until you find no fear in me at all. We ask in the name of Your strong Son, Jesus Christ. Amen