Obedience, The Conduit That Leads Us To
Wholeness Today we're
briefly examining the subject of obedience in the light of scripture. Many
elements in our world have been valued based upon their physical properties
and the benefit their physical construction may lend the possessor of such
valuable elements or those who seek to harness or take ownership of such
things. A few examples might be silver, gold, diamonds, water, food and
other valuable commodities. Of themselves these offer no mystical powers to
transform or change the attributes of ones nature. Much gold and silver
cannot replenish and make clean the soul who knows not God, nor desires to
fellowship in the Spirit of Truth. Much water, soap or industrial strength
cleaners cannot remove the indelible stains of sin that has marked the souls
of the unrepentant and those with an unclean heart. Science in all its wisdom, education, grandeur
and proven discoveries cannot undue the curse of sin the enemy has unleashed
upon humanity. The theories of Sir Isaac Newton known as the Theory of
Universal Gravitation and the Laws of Motion were later improved by Albert
Einstein by the theory of relativity. Perhaps when we understand how these
theories apply we can begin to understand how manifestations in the physical
realm of our actions, character and Testimony may be the product or the
equal or opposite reaction to a current state within us, which drives us,
supplies us and fuels our desire in life? Every Action has an Equal and Opposite
Reaction? This is the third of Sir Isaac Newton's laws of physics, and
one that is very important to space flight. Here's how it works. If you push
on anything, it pushes back on you. That's why if you lean against the wall,
you don't just fall through it. The wall pushes back on you as hard as you
push on it, and you and the wall stay in place. If you throw something, you
put more force behind it than just leaning on it, so it pushes back with
more force. This is hard to observe, because usually, if you throw something
away from you, the friction between you and the floor makes resistance to
keep you in place. But if you take away the friction and try again, you will move away from
the thing you threw as much as it moves away from you. The bigger the push, the bigger the push back. That's why cannons and
guns recoil. As the cannon ball flies on one direction, the cannon moves in
the opposite direction. If we turn the cannon up on end, it gets a little
closer to how a rocket works. The force that pushes the cannon ball down
also pushes the cannon up. But since the cannon is bigger than the cannon
ball it has more inertia acting to keep it in one place. We would need a
larger force to push the cannon a great distance. If we could make a long
continuous hot explosion in the cannon, instead of one quick one, we could
push the cannon a far distance. The air that is heated would push out the
back, pushing the cannon in the opposite direction. This is how jets work as
well as how rockets get into space. Remember, because every action has an
equal and opposite reaction something will go forward if it is pushing
matter behind itself. Logically it would seem that these principals or theories
should be self evident when tried or tested even by those who may doubt or
disbelieve such theories. These theories and experimental conditions are a
proven standard in every test. The constant repetitive answer in these
experiments is the result of Laws that are not controlled by mankind. No matter how man may deny or disbelieve in the theories
that govern physics, the Laws themselves, remain constant and are not
thwarted by mans ideas whether his notions be true or false in respect to
the Law of Physics. What do all these require or have in
common? The Laws of God, man and creation. Creation: When you consider the fact that all Laws govern and
serve a specific purpose one must be very careful not to negatively upset
the balance or void the principle that each Law is intended to
maintain. The catastrophic effects of negative resistance is seen when
disobedience to the principles of Law enter into the equation and become a
working component of lawlessness. The laws of physics in our world govern
and control all that we know and see without them destruction and ruin would
come upon us and we would no longer exist. The world as we know it would
become uninhabitable. Man's Law: If civilization as a whole were to become
disobedient to the laws that govern civil behavior or the laws that impute
punishment upon those who thumb their noses at the authority of law, our
world would then be unsafe, uncertain and unprotected. The breakdown of
civilization would become more and more disassociated with the principle of
law until law would have no place in society. God's Laws: If the Laws of God were to become void or God
should fail to enforce the laws that govern his creation and principals or
his Word and his Testimony then God himself would cease to be God. God's
Word cannot fail or all the Laws that govern, time, all of creation,
gravity, and motion would also cease to be obedient. If disobedience were to
follow, all these, the stars the sun and the moon would fall out of their
places and chaos would replace them. How important is obedience to scripture? Many times in scripture we see nothing significantly
attached to miracles, healings, or salvation except for the call to act in
obedience, which is also the evidence of faith in God, and the Word of God.
It is through obedience that God's will and plan for man may be clearly seen
and accomplished. It is through obedience that the character of God is
manifest in those who love him. Read all of 2 Kings Chapter 5 before proceeding further. In 2 Kings Chapter 5 we see Naaman who was a leaper having a
disease of the skin which made him unclean. Naaman seeks out Elisha and asks
that the God of Elisha may heal him. Naaman is not given any special balm,
medications or prayers by Elisha but only he is told to go to the river
Jordan and there to dip himself seven times in the water that he may be
healed. Naaman wasn't healed after the first dip, second or even the
sixth but upon obeying the word of the prophet after the seventh dip Naaman
was made completely whole. Was it Naaman's attitude that healed him? His position in
life? His worthiness? The rivers water quality? No! It was clearly only manifest after Naaman obeyed the
prophet and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan river. All the
laws, principals and machinery of God are governed by the act of obedience. If Naaman had disobeyed the prophet or dipped in another
river would he have been obedient or healed? These questions we must honestly consider. God did not
appoint man to change his Laws that govern heaven or earth. Nor has God
denied the witness he gave of his son in baptism, or the transfiguration.
The testimony of God is eternal regarding the pleasure he took in the Apostles
and their love for him that was shown to all by their obedience. The message the Apostles
preached as well as those who humbled themselves to obey that message of reconciliation
has received God's seal of approval in scripture. God's witness and
Testimony to the declaration of the Gospel the Apostles preached is clearly
seen in the book of Revelations
21:14 We know from scripture God was well pleased with the message the Apostles
preached everywhere. What was the message the Apostles Preached? Acts 2:37-42 Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and]
brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to
all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:
and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Perhaps today your lack of victory over sin, sickness or
oppression from the
enemy is because you have not fully obeyed the prophets and the Apostles as God
has spoken thus through them? Have you been obedient to God completely? Are you
established on the Rock of Jesus Christ and the foundations of the Apostles?
Are you firmly set into Christ through the Gospel? Is your name recorded in the book of life
beside the Apostles and the Prophets or does your understanding and
interpretation of God's word separate you from the Apostles and the Gospel
they preached? The timeless message of reconciliation to Christ that they
preached cannot and will not change. God has already confirmed it and placed
his seal upon it in his Word. Woe to those who replace, add or take away
from the Truth of God's Word. We are warned in scripture that many will come in the Name
of Christ and shall deceive many. We see where Christ himself speaks in
scripture of those who say Lord, Lord, (these
recognize him as God), have we not healed the
sick in your Name and cast out devils in your Name? In that day I shall say,
depart from me, I never knew you, ye that work iniquity. (The Bible
says that disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft) 1 Sam 15:23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou
hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being]
king. (Disobedience destroyed King Saul) These poor souls obviously confessed Christ as their Lord,
they did heal and cast out devils by the authority of his Name, however they
never fully resolved the sin issue in their lives. They had all the
attributes of a thinking believer in Jesus Christ however they had a
relationship hang up similar to Cain's rebellion. These expected God to
accept them on their own confession and their own merit, sacrifice and
understanding rather then to be accepted through humility and obedience to
the will and the Word of God. We must all be reconciled as God has shown in
scripture and has exampled through his own Testimony to us in his Word. Will you be made completely whole and
embrace the Word through obedience?
Begin fervently resisting the enemy of your soul, and push away the spoils
he has laid before you. Let God Heal
you today and take you from the spoils of the desert onto the highway of our
God!
Isaiah 35:3-10 Strengthen ye the
weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Say to them [that are] of a fearful heart, Be strong,
fear not: behold, your God will come [with] vengeance, [even] God [with] a
recompence; he will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the
ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame [man] leap as an hart, and the
tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and
streams in the desert. And the parched
ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the
habitation of dragons, where each lay, [shall be] grass with reeds and
rushes. And an highway shall be
there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean
shall not pass over it; but it [shall be] for those: the wayfaring men,
though fools, shall not err [therein].
No lion shall be there, nor [any] ravenous beast shall
go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk
[there]: And the ransomed of the
LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon
their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away.
Pr. J.W. Mills
10-25-07