The Simple Act Of Obedience
Everyone on earth feels the inward pull of temptation. (James 1:14) We are all sinful. (Romans 3:23) Even the most godly and sanctified person you can think of, still has the flesh they must crucify daily and temptations from the Evil One they must resist.
For me, this is one of the most frustrating parts of life. How I wish when we submitted ourselves to the Kingship of Jesus, instead of being our own kings, the fight stopped. How I wish that one act of obedience reverberated into eternity. But that is not how this works. I gave my life to God years ago and I also must give it to Him daily.
I’m not trying to diminish salvational moments, I do think profound things happen when we initially repent, give ourselves to God, and accept His grace. But still the next day after you become saved, you feel the tension of the spirit and the flesh within you.
Spiritual tension
If you agree with the statement that Christians will always battle their flesh until the day of their earthly death, you must ask yourself a question.
Why?
Why in the beginning was Adam and Eve able to choose to not trust God? Why was Satan, given the ability to rebel against God? These are questions many have asked for ages and have come to many different conclusions. One fundamental reason for this that seems compelling to me at this moment, is that to have the capacity to love, we must have the capacity for choice.
I am not trying to speak against God’s sovereignty or the power of God’s grace and love to transform us and sanctify us. I believe the Bible teaches all of those things. God’s sovereignty and my freedom are able to coexist.
Obedience and love
Jesus says in John 14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.”
There is a connection between obedience and love. Jesus is not saying our relationship with Him is a work based relationship. Rather, from a heart of love comes the desire to obey and honor and trust and believe.
I want that in my life. I want to be so captured by Jesus’s heart, I want to trust Him more and more, that when temptation comes my way, by using all the spiritual gifts granted to me in the Bible and the fruits of the Spirit, I say in the face of temptation: “I love Jesus more and I want to submit myself to His kingship, not my own. So I will not choose this sin because I know the love God has for me and I want to love Him in return.”
If you wait until obedience feels easy you will never be obedient.
May this be a helpful reminder for us Christians, obedience is good. We should be growing in obedience as acts of love and trust to God. The Christian life is hard but that is never an excuse to give in. Keep fighting. Keep submitting to God. Keep repenting. Trust His grace when you fail, but get back up again.
The paradoxical idea of obedience in the Kingdom of God is that it often feels like it will constrain our joy in this life, but obedience to God actually leads to a level of joy unrivaled by the offerings of sin.
If you are dissatisfied with your obedience yesterday, you can be obedient today.
If you are feeling particularly defeated by sin, considering reading one of these articles: https://www.weaponsofgrace.com/content/category/Grace
Thankful for grace and working to be more obedient,
Josh.