Security and Obedience
He leads me …
All those who know your mercy, Lord, will count on you for help. For you have never yet forsaken those who trust in you. (Psalm 9:10 TLB)
Sadly, many believe that true security is provided by the things of the world—money, comforts, position, or power. But the reality is that the safety these things provide is temporary and for a short time. Nothing is sure in this world: “I saw that the swiftest person does not always win the race, nor the strongest man the battle, and that wise men are often poor, and skillful men are not necessarily famous; but it is all by chance, by happening to be at the right place at the right time.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11 TLB). Eventually we get to the point of realising that no worldly position can provide spiritual security in Heaven.
In the Old Testament, God promised the Israelites that they would dwell in the land in safety if they obeyed His commandments (Leviticus 25:18–19; 26:3–5; Deuteronomy 12:10). When God’s people turned away from Him and followed other gods, their safety was compromised, and the result was a disaster.[1]
In the New Testament it is different. When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives by faith He promises Christians that he will come to us and would provide us with a companion Spirit (the Comforter or Paraclete) who would not only be at our side but would also be within us (John 14:16-18 ). The Spirit is to be our sense of peace and security, our witness concerning Jesus, and our guide into all truth (John 14:25-30; John 15:26-27; John 16:8-15)[2].
We are secured in God’s hands and the Bible says that no one can take us out of His hands. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.” (John 10:28 NLT)
Sometimes we forget about this promise. We act as if God said He would only be with us on the good days. But Jesus didn’t say that. He said He would be with us all the days of our life. That means on both the good days and the bad days. Rain or shine, God’s promise still holds true.
God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” (Hebrews 13:5 MSG)
For I am the Lord, I do not change [but remain faithful to My covenant with you]. (Malachi 3:6 AMP)
We do not really come to know anything or anyone by mere objective thinking without subjective doing. In other words, one cannot truly know God by analysing, reflecting, or rationalising data about God. Rather, God can only be known through personally knowing Him, by having a relationship with Him, and by individual interaction with Him. Anything else is at best only knowing about God.
Once we come to Jesus in response to His love, just as we are, receiving salvation as the free gift of His grace, the instructions in His word look like liberty and feel protective. We respond, “Wow, Lord, thank You for showing me the principles of life by which I can, by Your empowering grace, repair my broken relationships and flourish in every aspect of life.”
Obedience is the love-motivated process of responding in accordance with God’s word because we believe that we are living with His favour and that He is committed to developing the best in us. Obedience is trust, fuelled by love, in action.
Legalism, by contrast, is the anxious effort to earn God’s favour because we believe, at least on an emotional level, that God’s love is conditional on what we do and therefore that He holds us at a distance until we prove ourselves worthy. It is a form of religious self-importance, a way of keeping ourselves at the centre of our universe while projecting the illusion of serving God.[3]
We should obey God because Jesus bought us with His blood (Acts 20:28). Galatians 2:20 (AMP) says, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” So according to this verse, Christ is the One living in us. I have died to all my selfish desires, my sin, my own way. I’ve died to “me” and “my way”. Now, I’m to live through faith in Christ. My life belongs to Jesus because He purchased my life. We should obey God because Jesus has saved us through our faith in the gospel.
Jesus Himself says it, “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:10-11 NLT).
Following Jesus, and obeying God, is actually the way to the most lasting joy and happiness we could ever experience. Why? Because Jesus frees us from all other systems of justifying ourselves, and we can actually experience true freedom that can never be taken away from us. The freedom Jesus offers is different than the freedom this world offers.[4]
[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-safety.html
[2] Security of the Believer, Holman Bible Dictionary, StudyLıght
https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/s/security-of-the-believer.html
[3] Obedience vs Legalism, by Ty Gibson, Director at Light Bearers Ministry
https://lightbearers.org/blog/obedience-vs-legalism/
[4] 3 Reasons We Should Obey God, Daily Devotional, Manna Fellowship Church, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, United States
https://www.mannakc.com/daily-devotional-back/2020/4/15/3-reasons-we-should-obey-god
