Obedience written by Thomas Kavoori

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. “
I will try to do the job of a doctor in this article. What does a doctor do?
1) Recognizes the problem by looking at the symptoms.
2) Provides a solution.
What must the patient do?
1) Listen with Humility.
2) Think with Reason
3) Do the solution
Even if this is from me, please understand that I am only a patient with you. Jesus is the ultimate doctor. I am a brother with you. This shared word is to encourage and convict both you and me.
Foundation:-
When we deal with occurrences of deviations from the truth(problems), we have to recognize what G.K Chesterton said.“There are many, many angles at which one can fall but only one angle at which one can stand straight.” Think mathematically with me for a minute. When an angle isn't 90 degrees, it can be 35, 65, 77,88 or anything else other than 90 degrees. Also notice that 35 is different from 65 which is different from 77. All problems are deviations from the solution and each problem can be different from each other. There can be many different problems, but the fact that they are problems do not change and the fact that they come from not following a certain solution do not change. That is why Jesus gave us one solution. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 KJV. However, let us be careful with absolutes. Look at this illustration.
1) God tells person A to repent from lust and believe in Him. How does person A obey that absolute? He stays away from the computer because it's Spring break and he doesn't have any homework.
2) God tells person B to repent from lust and believe in Him. How does person B obey that absolute? He calls up his friends to pray for him whenever he feels drawn towards lust but he goes to the computer to do his homework because he has a few exams the next week.
The similarity in 1) and 2) is that they both obeyed the absolute. God was with them. The way it was done looked different. However, obedience to absolute truth was evident. I shall give you two verses as absolute truth to obey. How you obey it depends on God and you. I'll leave it at that.
Problems:-
1) We don't know what to obey
2) We don't know how to obey
3) We don't know why to obey
Reason 3 is the reason for 1 and 2.
Solution:-
1) “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor 4:6 KJV
Have you ever seen a marriage? The Wife and the Husband look at each others face. As the emotions well up within them, they decide to make a commitment to each other with an “I do.” God comes to you and me and He gives us His face. “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Psalm 27:8 KJV Solution? “Receive and Seek His face”. Simple.
That's the problem with us. We read our Bibles. Why? We go to church? Why? We read books on doctrine? Why. His face? This truth is a beautiful and a tough pill to swallow. That's the only thing a patient can do.
2) “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
In India, I noticed a problem. In some places, there is an exaltation of the Spiritual. “I go to church because I feel good during worship, but I get bored during the sermon.” In America, I noticed a problem as well. In some places, there is an exaltation of truth. “I've read this Christian book and that book. They were so interesting. I've read this chapter in the Bible. Fascinating.” In both cases, we get people who do not live the book. Jesus brought Spiritual necessity and Theological integrity together in a balance where they converge. We've heard or read that the Holy Spirit is God and that He is in the trinity. However, we don't actually believe it and that's why we don't treat the Holy Spirit like He's God. “We don't go to the temple to worship, we take the temples with us.”-Dr. Ravi Zacharias. If you are born-again, your body is the temple of the Lord. The Holy Spirit resides in you. Solution? “Learn to rely on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and your mind to live the Christian life.”
Isn't that our problem? We have so many resources. We have so many preachers. We have so many seminaries. Why is the church growing at such a rate in China and other third world countries countries? They're trying to grab this verse and live it. You and I, must swallow this pill.
Conclusion:-
It's all about your relationship with God.
“Jesus is not just the way. He's the destination.”