James 1:22
In today’s world, it isn’t very popular to obey God.
The admonition to serve God with all of our hearts, and not to turn from His way, is very important for Christians. In order to follow God, it is important to obey His Word. Obedience is extremely important to Him (and this is repeated numerous times to His people). In order to obey God, we must know what His Word says.
How can one know God’s Word? One must first seek after it and hide it in their heart. How does God’s Word get into one’s heart? “10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:10-11). One must search after God, read the Bible, and memorize His Word for it to be found in our heart.
Once we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we know what to do. We can understand what God expects from us. However, the most important thing comes next: we are not only to hear it, but also to do it! “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). Notice if we just hear God’s Word and do not do it, we deceive ourselves.
Read the following warning: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). When one chooses to do what they want over what God says to do, that person has yielded himself, or herself, to sin. But, when one chooses to obey God, it is considered obedience unto righteousness.
Are you a servant to sin?
Or, do you obey God’s Word unto righteousness?