We Need God's Help to Become Obedient - We Need His Powerful Grace
To the degree we are able, we are to obey the moral laws. But without help, it is even impossible to completely love your neighbor as yourself; and without divine help, it is impossible to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And there are other things, that no matter how hard we try, we can't do without obtaining divine assistance, power through grace, to be changed for the better. A few examples:
- Getting angry at someone who treats us poorly or unfairly or unjustly, or even hurts us. Jesus told us that whoever is angry with his brother, is subject to judgment. You can't stop anger without being changed by lots of grace. Try turning the other cheek, when someone next slaps you.
- John said, Anyone who hates his brother has committed murder in his heart. 1 John 3:15
- Just looking at woman with lust - Jesus tells us we have committed adultery in our heart. You can't control this without help.
- Being addicted to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, shopping, pornography, etc. - some are so deep as to be genuine bondages that require supernatural help to break.
- Being addicted to pass-time pleasures of all sorts. Not that all pleasures are inherently evil; but if we were to feel pain from stopping participation in them, they are an idol in our life. And even if not addicted, the time we spend in their pursuit, is time we could spend preparing for eternity, by seeking to hear and obey God. The love of the world is enmity with God.
- Greed can be an addiction, or always wanting something more. That is idolatry - wanting money or anything equal to or more than your desire to please God. All of Christianity has forgotten covetousness. We systematically train our children to covet by creating Christmas lists of wants. People go through life thinking if they just had more money, or a new car, or a better house, or a vacation in Hawaii, they would be happy; but once they get what they want, they have to focus on something else to believe in as the solution to their happiness. See Fox for more on covetousness. Money is not evil; it is the love of money that is evil.
- Inability to control our emotions and passions in general.
Addictions and bondages have to be broken with the help of God, his grace, his power to change us. We don't get help by simply asking for it, (except occasionally he does grant us special favors to get rid of serious substance addictions). We get help by humbly going to him as a sinner and waiting on him to help us: by teaching us, counseling us, commanding us, and guiding us out of spiritual Egypt, through the long dry wilderness, until at last we reach the promise land of strength, purity, peace, love and joy - we receive the fruit of the spirit by crucifying the sinful nature within us on the cross of Christ, missing in today's Christianity. As we go to him, he gives us commands. Each of these commands are individually tailored to our life's circumstances, as only our creator knows how to help us. If we obey the words heard , they are written on our heart, added to the inward law; and we receive power to walk as ordered until we finally become pure. So we seek, listen, obey, seek, listen, obey..... seek, listen, obey,.. etc. This is the purification process. It is the crucifixion of the sinful nature. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship .., and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
True Christianity is about a change in the heart - not saying prayers, water baptism, eating bread and grape juice - all forms and ceremonies - some newly invented by men since Judaism, but still forms and ceremonies - rituals, instead of changes in the heart. These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far distant from Me. In vain .. do they worship Me, ordering and teaching as doctrines the commandments and precepts of men. Mark 7:5-7. God wants to be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. Your heart has to be changed to be able to worship in Spirit and Truth. Changes in the heart only take place from divine power through grace - Christ, who is the Light, which is risen in the conscience, which purges and cleanses the conscience, by his Spirit from dead works, to serve the living God.
And until we can hear the Lord and follow his counsel to become changed, the outward law is our schoolmaster, a reminder to us of our problems; and being a motivator to repent from our old ways and to seek divine help to be even more different, therefore becoming pleasing to God. While the law is our schoolmaster, we know the states Paul described he once was: "for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." Rom 7:15, and "it is not longer I that sin, but the sin that remains in me, Rom 7:17." Paul passed through both of these states, and everyone must pass through these stages before you arrive at the liberty of the sons of God to enjoy Christian freedom. (Paul's final state was: it is no longer I that live, but Christ within me.)
From George Fox's Journal:
I saw this law was the pure love of God which was upon me, and which I must go through, though I was troubled while I was under it; for I could not be dead to the law but through the law, which judged and condemned that which is to be condemned. I saw, many talked of the law, who had never known the law to be their schoolmaster; and many talked of the gospel of Christ, who had never known life and immortality brought to light in them by it. You that have been under that schoolmaster, and the condemnation of it, know these things; for though the Lord in that day opened these things unto me in secret, they have been since published by his eternal spirit, as on the house top. And as you are brought into the law, and through the law to be dead to it, and witness the righteousness of the law fulfilled in you, you will afterwards come to know what it is to be brought into Christ, who is the author of, and you will have peace and access to God.
To enjoy Christian Freedom as a son of God, you must first be set free from sin.
This is done by going to God yourself; because everyone has his Spirit within them by grace. You have no need of any teacher but the anointing within you. He is the Light that enlightens all men who come into the world, the Life which is the Light of men. You sit quietly and whenever you think, you think on the name of Jesus. This is how we learn from Him, get cleansed by Him, be led by Him, and come to know Him. He said: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." He is the Light, he is the Word, and he has sent us the Spirit of Truth to teach us. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20. Eventually you will hear Him. He has a soft voice; that is why it is written, "Be still and know that I am God." He will tell us things about Himself. He will encourage us. He is kindness. He will tell or show us things about ourselves; some will be things that are ugly. Christ the Light will show us all the hidden lusts, affections, and pride in our heart. But since he is our friend, we know that he is showing them to us for our own good. So we listen and watch. And we don't run, we stand before the Son of Man. And we repent of what he shows us. And sometimes he gives us commands. We are hearing the Word of God, the living Word. As we hear the Word of God, (Jesus speaking through the Spirit) our faith will increase by leaps and bounds; and keep increasing - if we obey his commands heard and show him we love him by being obedient. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 1:27
For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and does them, I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock. Luke 6:47-48. Upon this rock, he builds his Church; by doing so, you have received the Christ within you as the Son of God; your hearing and obeying him is true faith.
He can't make it any plainer! He said: come to me, listen to My words (not the Bible), and do them.
To do them, is to obey; and when you obey them, you have received Christ by recognition and obedience.
From this sure foundation he builds true faith and hope which eventually purifies you.
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:22-23
These above two teachings of Jesus are the core teachings of this web site:
1) Come to him, Listen to his words, do the words he gives you - obey his commands.
2) If you Love Jesus, you will obey him. The Father then loves you, and he and Jesus come to you and make their home with you;
and their home is the Kingdom of God within you. They dwell in a pure heart.
Write what you hear down is a notebook; review your commands periodically so you don't forget one, and keep repenting. Rev 3:2-3
The Lord has said to me: "Where there is obedience, there is righteousness; without it, you have World War II."
Even Adolph Hitler said Jesus was his Lord and Savior. - a sinner saved by grace???? WHILE NOT OBEDIENT???
He [Jesus] became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him. Heb 5:9
(And how do you obey Him to attain salvation?)
Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Jer 7:23
If you abide in My word, [that you hear] you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32.
So if the Son liberates you, then you are really and unquestionably free. John 8:36
Jesus came so he could destroy the devil and his works[sin] in us - if we go to him.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, [in us] that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8
You are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness. Rom 6:16.
If we are a slave to sin, he can't be our Lord. You cannot serve two masters. Mat 16:24 Luke 16:13
We are incapable of being controlled or ruled until our sinful nature is destroyed, at least enough to be Spirit led. Rom 8:13-14
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-Rom 6:6
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Gal 5:24
Since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life Rom 6:22.
Man, who originally followed his creator in obedient love, became a rebel to decide his own way, taking thought, judging what is good and bad for himself. When man is restored into the image of God, he ceases to make his own decisions; instead returning to reverent, loving obedience to his creator, of him and of the universe. Part of this restoration is to destroy the rebellious, self-seeking, self-gratifying mind. This is a lengthy process for most. And as the mind is destroyed, the Lord's guidance fills the void. When our selfish nature is slain, we will receive the Spirit of Christ, so that we will be obedient in our love for God - and our obedience is by choice, God not having taken away our free will. Love never insists on its own way. But our love for God will make our obedience to his every wish to be the joy of our life. For never forget - he loves us beyond measure - so whatever he asks will be to our ultimate benefit and total satisfaction. So we obey his every gentle prompting and leading, to both our and his great joy.
So that we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), 2 Cor 10:5. So that we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart, 1 Cor 2:16. We must put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness, Eph 4:22-24. This does not mean we continue to think with a new set of rules we have learned from the Bible. No; the carnal mind, which is inimical to God, must be destroyed so that we do not think for ourselves any longer. Instead as a new creature, we rely on the promptings received from God, just like Christ did when he walked the earth; as he said:
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,
for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me, John 5:30.
So, even Christ did not make his own decisions. He said what he heard the Father say, and he did what he saw the Father do. He followed the promptings of God. We also must have our carnal mind destroyed to the point that we speak and act from the promptings of the Spirit of God; this is the end of obedience - to think, speak, and act according to God's promptings.
A major reason Christ died on the cross, was to show us by example the extent of obedience required; for as he went to the cross in loving obedience to God, so we also must obey the promptings and commands of God, to crucify our sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial.
If those