In the military, the command chain is very clear and the structure is very clear and instructions are given according to command chains.
As spiritual soldiers, absolute obedience to the Command of the Lord Jesus is important to be prioritized.
Wikipedia defines “Obedience” as a person yielding to explicit instructions or orders from an authority figure”.
My Sheep Hear My Voice
These days the term “Obedience” among Believers has become highly subjective because there are a lot of middle men between the Lord Jesus and church members or Christians. There seems to be many other people that are playing the role of the Lord Jesus.
It is important for us to understand that in the dispensation of the New Testament, every believer has a direct relationship with the Lord. The Commander of the Lord’s Army gives direct instructions to every soldier
The rank of command in the Lord’s army is not like after Jesus then it is Peter, then after Peter, it is Paul then after Paul, it is the Catholic fathers and then denomination, your pastor then you. NO, it is not like that.
The Rank Of Command is directly from Jesus to us and any instructions that comes from anybody we take it because it comes from Jesus and there’s a confirmation in our spirit by the Holy Spirit that this instruction from my Pastor, this instruction from my Elder or this instruction given in Church is consistent with what the Lord is saying to us.
You must have a connection within yourself with the Lord directly in such a way the instructions you are receiving is confirmed by your Witness within you.
Our challenge today is that for many of us we seem not to make time to have a strong relationship with the Lord and so we are not able to confirm from the Witness within us the instructions we get from other sources and because we want to be on the safer side we listen to every instruction and do it. Because of this there is disarray amongst us as Brethren worldwide.
How do we know that what the person is saying is the right way for all of us? The Scriptures are very clear that, if the prophet says something, compare it to God’s Word and see what happens after that.
The Lord said with regard to the attitude of Saul that “To obey is better than sacrifice..” which also gives us a certain understanding of what the Lord requires of us. For many of us it’s easy for us to do things to impress God when we know we are clearly avoiding what He has asked us to do.
If we have to be successful joyous spiritual soldiers, obedience to the Lord is important.
2 Timothy 2: 1-4
“Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful Men Who Shall be able to teach others also thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. no man that wareth entangle himself with the Affairs of this life that he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier”
The reason obedience is critical is that our call to be spiritual solders is hinged on we pleasing the One who has chosen us. Obedience pleases God. Knowing the Lord’s will yielding to HIS explicit instructions at the time HE wants you to do it is a thing that makes us Joyous Spiritual Soldiers and also please God.
Prayer
Ask the Lord to give you a heart of obedience as an individual and as group of Believers working together
Ask for strength
That your eyes are so focused and fixed on The Lord and find joy in obeying Him
Receive Grace to understand His mercy, goodness and severity of the Lord
Ask God to help you not to take His Words for granted
That you will give Sacred regard to the things that HE speaks to you through His Word, through sermons, through worship songs and through inscriptions.
Prioritize
Focus your mind
Be consistent
Follow not the appetite of the flesh
Forsake not the assembling of the Brethren
Ignore not the Fellowship of the Brethren
Receive strength for genuine obedience
