What does obedience have to do with trust? When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior in response to His love for you, you returned that love to Him.
Jesus says in John 14:15 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands.” Obedience is required to walk in Jesus’ way.
Earlier in the chapter, verse 12, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”. If you believe in Him, you will follow His lead and do His works.
1 Peter 1:14 NIV “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”
Before you came to know the Lord, you walked according to the world. You leave that behind as a Christian and begin to walk according to God. You are not to conform to the world.
So as you continue in your trust in Jesus Christ, the way of spiritual growth is by being obedient to Him.
Here is what we will be discussing:
- An Example of Obedient Trust: Ruth
- The Role of Faith
- Disobedience
- Practical Application for Obedience
- Conclusion
An Example of Obedient Trust: Ruth
Ruth 1:14-18 NIV “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. ‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.’
But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.’ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.”
Ruth and Orpah were the Moabite daughter-in-laws of Naomi. Naomi had decided to return back to Bethlehem after the death of her husband and later the death of her two sons.
Naomi was taking Orpah and Ruth with her but at the last minute she decided it would not be fair to them. She told them to go back home. At first, Orpah declined, but later went back. Ruth continued to refuse.
In the verses above, we notice that Ruth chose Naomi’s God over the god of her people, “Your God my God”.
We also see Ruth refers to Naomi’s God as “Lord”, showing a relationship with Him. ‘May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.’ Here she is choosing obedient trust in the Lord by going back with Naomi.
Ruth could have chosen the comfortable path by going back home. Instead, she followed God’s leading because of her relationship with Him.
The Role of Faith
James 2:17-18 NIV “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”
First of all, salvation is by faith alone. You cannot earn it. Here, James is talking about after you come to know the Lord, your faith then requires action. You show your love to Him by being obedient. Obedience is a reflection of your faith.
James 1:22 NIV “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
The Lord doesn’t want you just to read His Word, action is required. When you only listen, you are deceiving yourself, thinking you are doing the right thing.
Disobedience
1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
When we are not walking according to the Lord’s way, we are out of fellowship. This stands in the way of our obedience and we cannot do His will.
1 John 1:9 NIV “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession puts us back in fellowship and we can continue growing in the Lord.
Practical Application for Obedience
Prayer
1 John 5:14 NIV “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Whenever you are having trouble obeying the Lord, go to Him in prayer and ask for His help. He wants you to come to him and discuss your problems.
Study Scripture
Hebrews 4:12 NIV “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
We forget sometime how powerful God’s Word is. It’s not just words on a page, it is God-breathed. Reading and studying it will help you not only become obedient, but give you peace at the same time.
Past Experiences with God
Romans 15:4 NIV “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
We have many examples of God’s people in obedience and out of it. Going to God’s Word and looking at these examples are for us to learn by so we will not make the same mistakes.
Conclusion
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
What does obedience have to do with trust? It strengthens you in the Lord and brings you closer to Him.
Disobedience is leaning on your own understanding. Instead, submit to His way and He will help you to become more obedient.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.