“Obey every command the Lord gives you.”
1 Samuel 15 John 14:15 Romans 12
Jesus said, “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.” God wants the evidence that backs our claim of loving Him: our obedience. As a parent, I’ve definitely known the frustration of telling my children to do something (like clean their rooms) only to discover an hour later that they hadn’t done it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if children instantly obeyed their parents? At two years old a child says, “No!” At three years old he asks, “Why?” Resistance to obedience begins early in life, which is expected from little children, but as they grow and mature we expect more from them. It’s the same in our Christian walk. As we grow and mature in Christ, our accountability to Him is increased. Maturity leaves no room for excuses and childish behavior, but implies a greater level of love, of knowledge, and of respect that should be expressed through our obedience to God.
Remember King Saul? In 1 Samuel 15:10-26 we can read of his disobedience to God’s specific commands. He even tried to justify his actions when Samuel the prophet held him accountable for what he’d done. It was at this point that Samuel said in verse 22, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Verse 26, “for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” Wow! Thank God for His grace through Jesus Christ, but even under grace we need to know God’s commands and keep them. It’s in obedience that we express our love for Him. “We bring the sacrifice of praise” but it had better be backed up with obedience!