OBEDIENCE, THE PATHWAY TO THE PROMISED BLESSINGS AND ABUNDANT LIFE

“Do not make idols  … in your land so you may worship them. I am the Lord your God… If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains …. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.  I will give you peace … and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear.  I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land …. You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!  I will live among you, and I will  not despise you.  I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.  I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt … I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.”  (Leviticus 26: 1-13).

God’s purpose in redeeming Israel from Egypt was so that He might bring them to Himself, pour out His blessings on them, and make known  Himself and His glory to the world.  But the people needed to understand that those blessings would be available only within a certain arena, where obedience to God’s Word, as the ground rules of the divine economy, would be the norm.  God wanted His people to understand that His blessings attend where His Word is honoured (John 14: 15-21) and those who scorn His instruction and resolve to make their own way in life cannot expect Him to bestow His promises upon them.  Obedience to God is the way to know His blessings (Deut. 28: 1-2).
But we do not by our obedience earn the favour of God; rather, through obedience we lay hold on what He freely offers us, making it our own and possessing it according to the riteria by which He extends it to us.   We are to understand that everything we hope to enjoy in life is contingent upon our walking in the path God has set out for us.  Jesus Christ Himself has gone before us, having fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf and borne all the wrath of the law against  our sins. By looking to Jesus and clinging to Him, we find the grace that leads to forgiveness and full and abundant life (John 10: 10b).
And as, rightly perceiving that we have neither the inclination nor the strength to walk that path, we repent of our ingratitude and plead with the Lord to help us to know His blessings, He will gladly give us His Spirit to make us willing and able to walk the path  that leads to blessing (Ezekiel 36: 26, 27; Luke 11: 13; Philippians 2: 12, 13).
God encourages those who walk in His law that they need not know the yoke of sin again.  Sin oppresses us, robs us of our joy, makes us enemies of God and our neighbours, and sets us on a path of increasing distance from God and self destruction (Romans 1: 18-32).  The law of sin is a powerful force at work within us (Romans 7: 21-24); and the spiritual

forces of wickedness in high places, who persuade us to choose the way of sin, are many and powerful (Ephesians 6: 12).
But just as God delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt (Exodus 1: 6-16; 14: 30), so He has liberated us from the power of sin, enabling us to live in the freedom of His Word

and Spirit (John 8: 32).  No longer do we need to fall into the pits and snares of sin’s deceptive and destructive ways.  It is not necessary for us to languish in guilt over some wrong done to another, or for some good work left undone, or wicked thought harboured against a brother/sister.
God has set us free from all these through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and He has marked out the path for all His children to walk in the commandments, statutes, and testimonies of His Word.  If we know the truth and walk in it, it will make us free from the oppressive bonds of sin.

 When God’s people walk in obedience to His ways, they exert influence for good even on the unbelieving  society around them, so that even those who do not know or fear the Lord, as they come under the influence of their obedience, would be inclined to follow in the path of righteousness and blessing  (Deuteronomy 4: 1-8; Micah 4: 1-5).  This is why it is important that Christians in government should be thinking about the impact God’s Word might have and the role it should play in the shaping of public policies in this and every nation (Proverbs 14: 34).  Christians should be agents of transformation or catalysts.

Those who walk in the way of the Lord also will know His presence.  In God’s presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16: 11).  Indeed, in His presence, all cares and concerns pale into insignificance.  For no earthly blessing could ever equal the glory and joy of God’s presence.  By knowing His presence and abiding in it, we have contentment and are filled with joy whatever our material circumstances might be.
As we devote ourselves to learning and obeying God’s Word and walking within it, we will find these promises: freedom from the tyranny of sin; security in the bossom of the Lord; deliverance from guilt and death; liberation into unbounded joy and pleasure; overcoming guilt and fear; dwelling before the shining face of our glorious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ become daily realities to bask in, enjoy, and proclaim to one and all.
Have  a “time of refreshing” (Acts 3: 19) as you fellowship here together in the name of the Lord, throughout this Revival week.