Obedience to God

April 6, 2025

Gateway Church of the Nazarene (gwnaz.org), Pastor Rod Marion

A person who wears the title of Christian, but does not follow God's word is Christian-ish, an almost Christian.

Almost Christian = Selective Christian

Selective obedience is the dangerous illusion that doing some of what God says is enough, when it's really disobedience in disguise.

"Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." Deuteronomy 5:33 (New International Version)

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession..." Exodus 19:5 (NIV)

"If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment." Job 36:11 (NIV)

God asks for our full obedience.

God has unconditional promises and conditional blessings.

Some of God's blessings are conditional, on the condition that we obey Him fully and completely.

The unconditional promises: God loves you no matter what.

Conditional Blessings: While salvation is a gift, certain blessings flow from obedience to God.

Covenant Theology

God has made divine agreements, covenants, with us that hold both unbroken promises and conditional blessings. Each is a plan for us to be restored to Him.

The New Covenant

The unconditional promise: Jesus died and rose again, offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who believe.

The conditional blessings: You are saved by Grace through faith, and blessed by your full surrender to God.

"Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs - everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed." 1 Samuel 15:7-9 (NIV)

Disobedience always starts with a whisper.

Disobedience is rarely a one-time event.

What you allow in the present will own you in the future.

Where are you allowing sin to whisper into your life?

"But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal." 1 Samuel 15:20-21 (NIV)

Sin never needs a good reason, it only needs an excuse.

Every sin we justify builds a wall between us and God.

God loves you and wants to bless your obedience.

"But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

To obey God is better than any sacrifice you could make.

"...for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4 (NIV)

God wants our full surrender.