God's Glory Church

By faith Abraham obeyed the call to go to the country that he had to receive as an inheritance, and he went, not knowing where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8

I would like to draw attention to the words from this verse: “By faith Abraham obeyed…” Faith is the source of obedience, its foundation. No one can obey God until they believe in Him. To disbelieve is to disobey. Practical obedience begins with obedience of spirit, mind and heart.

Obedience that comes from faith has good roots. The obedience of a slave is hardly more significant than the obedience of a well-trained horse or dog, since behind such obedience is the whip. We talk about obedience not out of fear, but from a pure heart. On the one hand, man understands that he must obey his Redeemer, Father and God, but on the other hand, his motive for doing so is the love of Christ.
To make our reflections on obedience more useful, let us consider three questions. First, what kind of faith is it that leads to obedience? Secondly, what kind of obedience is this that faith leads to? And thirdly, what kind of life is this to which obedience and faith lead?

I. So what is this faith that leads to obedience?

First, it is faith in God, who has the right to demand obedience from us. You all know that God is Almighty, that His desires are our law. God, being our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, is worthy of obedience. You also know that you do not belong to yourself, but are bought at a very high price. The Lord has an undeniable right over you. He has the right to demand from you more zealous obedience than from the angels, for whom, despite the fact that they are also God’s creations, the Lord did not shed blood. Since we have faith in the Lord of lords, we should have only one answer to His call: “…thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We must believe in God’s call to obey. Abraham left his father’s house knowing that, no matter what God said to others, He said to him, “Get thee out of your land, from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.” Abraham cared little about what God might have said to the Chaldeans and members of other families. What was important to him was what God said to him. If only we would take God’s commands concerning us personally more seriously!

Obedience flows from faith, which is its main driver.

II. Now let’s move on to the second question: what kind of obedience is this that faith leads to? Let’s look at our verse.

Genuine faith in God prompts immediate obedience. “By faith Abraham (when called) obeyed…” Abraham’s answer was not long in coming. Obedience shelved is not obedience. I would like Christians who like to procrastinate to think about this. To continue to delay is to continue to sin. If I disobey the divine command, I sin, and every moment of delay increases the sin. This is a serious question. If I need to do something, I am obliged to do it; by not doing it, I commit a sin.

Also, obedience must always be precise. Even Abraham’s obedience was, to some extent, not like this at first, for, having left Ur of the Chaldeans and reaching Harran, he remained there until his father died. Then the Lord turned to him again, and he went to the promised land. If anyone thinks that it is enough to obey halfway, then he is mistaken.
The patriarch’s error has been corrected, for we read that Abraham, when called, obeyed the call. We must obey in the same way. What God commands to be done, we must do, but do just that, without trying to improve obedience with additions. If God has given you true faith, you will strive to exactly fulfill His commands. Keep an eye on the little things. Paying attention to them is a wonderful feature of obedience.

III.What kind of life is this to which obedience and faith lead.

Firstly, it will be a life without the great risk to which those who live at their own discretion are exposed. Trusting God means insuring yourself from danger and mistakes. If we act as God commands, but it still seems to us that there is no success, we should not despair, it is not our fault. We are obligated to bring the fruit of our lives to the Lord, the harvest depends on God, but the baskets and seeds are in our hands. We can hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things; enter into the joy of your master.” It is our duty to be a good slave. By obeying, we risk nothing, but only gain.

Believe me, obedience is the shortest path, it can’t be shorter.
I want to leave you with these words: “By faith Abraham obeyed…” Have faith in God and obey, obey and obey again. Continue to obey until God calls you home. By obeying on earth, you pave the way for obedience in heaven. Today’s obedience is a rehearsal for eternal happiness, it is a song of ascent to glory. You will sing this song forever.