The Implication Of Obeying God

Revealed in the Scripture, is the role of obedience which is fundamental to walking with God and also experiencing His blessings in all areas of our lives. Obedience is key to experiencing God. Although, at the beginning, God put the man He created in a garden where man would not need to struggle to survive but enjoy the supernatural provisions from God, man needed to maintain His relationship with God by obeying His instructions.

Genesis 2:7-8

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

So you see, being in a blessed environment where man would need not struggle to survive was not enough. Man needed to live obediently to the commands and instructions of God for man to enjoy the blessing that he has been given.

It is important to know that no matter how powerful a prophecy or promise of God is to you, you will need to obey God for you to experience the fulfillment of the promise or prophecy.

Genesis 12:1-4

1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Abraham needed to leave his father’s house for him to see the fulfillment of what God had promised.

However, in this brief teaching, I want us to consider some implications of obeying God. Remember that implication means suggestion, opinion, or derived meaning that can be drawn from an action or a statement which is not explicitly or out rightly stated. By this, we want to bring out some suggested meaning of obeying God.

First, when you obey God’s instruction it means that you fear God. As a matter of fact, the fear of God is the foundation for obeying God. You will hardly obey God if you do not fear Him.

For instance, when Abraham obeyed God in sacrificing his son Isaac, the Scripture told us that it was a proof that he feared God. (See Genesis 22:1-3, 10-12). Without the fear of God you cannot obey God. Therefore obeying God shows that there is the fear of God in your heart.

Secondly, to obey God shows that you trust His ability to do what He promised. Whenever you obey God you are simply demonstrating your trust and confidence in the person and ability of God. Scripture tells us that God cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13) and that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2). Therefore by obeying Him, you are actually expressing your trust in His ability to keep to His word.

Thirdly, to obey God proves your love for Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us that if we love Him, we will obey His commandment (John 14:15, 21 – 23). This means the proof of love for God is your obedience to Him. Simply put, loving God is obeying Him.

Fourth, to obey God implies that you are submissive to His authority. Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed this to us when He said:

John 5:19, 30

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

The obedience of Christ was proof of His willing submission to the authority of the Father. In like manner, when you truly obey God from your heart, you are simply saying that you are submissive to the authority of God. I have come to realize that you cannot obey the one that you cannot submit to his or her authority. Obedience is a proof of submission.

It is my prayer that God will continually grant you and me the grace to constantly obey as we show our love for Him, submit to His authority, trust His ability and fear Him.

Wisdom Emamuzo Peter

Pastor/Teacher/Author