Text: Phil. 2:5 -11
This portion of the bible encourages us to be of like mind as Christ, replicating the same attitude as His. One peculiar attitude that characterized the life He lived was “Obedience”.
To obey means to carry out, fulfill or submit to a command or an instruction and this Jesus demonstrated by obeying his Father even to the point of death despite being God himself. His obedience however, was not without its reward:
- He was given a name above all names – Phil. 2:9
- Every Knee must bow at the mention of his name – Jesus (Phil. 2:10)
- Every tongue must proclaim his Lordship (Phil. 2:11)
Similarly our obedience to God is never without its reward. In fact it releases God’s blessings which are His glorious expression of love and goodness to us and they include answered prayers, miraculous healing etc. Nonetheless, to exercise obedience and be a recipient of its consequent rewards, it is important to know what instructions God wants us to obey.
WHAT IS THERE TO OBEY
- Praying without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)
- Giving thanks at all times in every situation (1 Thess. 5:18)
- Giving to others (Luke 6: 38)
- Studying the word of God (2 Tim. 2:15).
Beloved, the knowledge of these instructions is of no importance if they are not adhered to. It is said that almost 90% of patients fail to adhere to their Doctor’s prescription. While some don’t obey at all, some stop their prescriptions at the slightest sight or feeling of getting better. Some even try to improve on their doctor’s instruction by taking more than what was prescribed, thinking if one capsule works, two will definitely be better.
Similarly we either fail to completely obey God’s commands or try to improve them. Adding or deleting from God’s word is of no benefit to the user. In fact it is the same as not using it at all.
In obedience is great reward but this reward might not manifest in the way we expect them. When such happens, we often times get frustrated. It is very important to bear in mind that Frustration does not negate the fact that a task undertaken is God’s will for us. We just have to endure and pull through it. The reason we fail to obey in those difficult moments is because we are so self-reliant and deny God of his Sovereignty and Lordship in those situations. This is disobedience.
We must learn obedience just as He did, and find strength from the past deeds of God in our lives.
MEN WHO OBEYED AND FOUND THEIR REWARD
- Abraham obeyed God and was named the Father of all Nations
- Moses obedience led to the freedom of the nation Israel
- Joshua’s obedience led to the great victory of Israel over Jericho
- Paul’s obedience to preach to the Gentiles was rewarded by the number of books he authored in the bible
- Noah obeyed God and was saved from perishing in the flood.
- Simon caught a net-full of fish because He obeyed Christ’s command.
Finally, Eccl. 12:13 reads, “Fear God and obey His commandments for it is the whole duty of man”. Since obedience is our duty to God, it is therefore the highest form of worship we can offer Him.
Note: True obedience is really demonstrated when we have an opportunity to disobey.