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Is it Going to Cost you Something to Enjoy God’s Blessings?

While the Bible makes it very clear that salvation is free to all who believe it did require a huge price to be paid by the Lord Jesus Christ; a price so monstrous that no one but our Lord could pay it. While the physical suffering was unspeakable the spiritual suffering he endured as he took upon himself the sins of the entire world was infinitely greater I suspect and could not have been borne by anyone else. Christ alone was qualified and able to take upon himself the punishment he had to endure to bring salvation to all who would simply believe on him and receive him as their Savior.

There is, however, a price that each of us must pay if we are to grow in our faith and enjoy the blessings God has for his children. In our Lord’s closing words in Matthew 28:18-20 he tells his disciples:

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Notice particularly verse 20 where the Lord says “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” I’m reminded of some verses in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 15:20-23 where King Saul is speaking to the Prophet Samuel:

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.²¹ Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

²² But Samuel replied,

King Saul’s failure to obey God cost him the kingdom; he had been rejected by God for his disobedience to God’s command! I mention this to show how much obedience to God’s commands means to God; while King Saul partially obeyed the command he decided to do certain things in a way that seemed good to him and which were contrary to God’s command. By comparing verse 3 with verses 20 and 21 you can see how Saul thought he had a better plan.

How Does All This Apply to Christian Blessings?

Notice in Matthew 28:20 how the Lord once again places an emphasis on obedience; the God of the New Testament is the same one as the God of the Old Testament and obedience to God’s commands is just as important now as it was then. Sadly it appears that too many Christians want to view God’s commands the same way Saul did; they want to pick and choose those commands which appeal to them with the freedom to delete, add, or modify God’s commands as they choose.

While we are now living in a remarkable age of God’s grace there is still a price to be paid for failure to faithfully obey God’s commands and that is the absence of God’s blessings to the extent they might otherwise be available. God’s commands are given to benefit his people, not constrain or hamper their happiness but to ensure a full and joyous life before the Lord.

The Price of Disobedience

Time after time I encounter people who have disobeyed God’s commands, found themselves in difficult situations and only then looked to God for help and deliverance from those problems. It is surpassingly foolish to think one can ignore God’s commands, make bad decisions and then escape the consequences of those bad decisions.

While we can confess our sins to God as described in 1 John 1:8-10 and be forgiven and have the power of God, the Holy Spirit restored in our lives; confession of sin to God will not reverse the consequences of our bad decisions and sometimes those consequences can be very painful. I am saddened as I watch each new generation come along and fall into the same trap of thinking their way is better than God’s way.

The Price You Must Pay for Blessing

The truth of the matter is that each new generation of Christians must be taught the importance of obedience to God’s commands, we are not born with that knowledge and must be taught as we are growing up that God’s commands are given to enrich our lives; to make them the very best they can be.

If you would enjoy a blessed life then there is no substitute for your careful study of Bible doctrine and the faithful application of Bible doctrine to all of life’s situations and challenges!

It seems all too often the organized church sees its responsibility toward young people as being to keep them entertained, not to teach them. Failure to give young Christian people a solid foundation in Bible doctrine is doing them a very great disservice!

The Bottom Line

If you are to enjoy God’s blessings to the greatest possible degree it is vital you be obedient to God’s commands. God’s commands have been given to help you stay out of trouble and enjoy life to the fullest; you ignore them at your own peril! Please don’t think you can ignore God’s commands, live life as you please and still have the blessings promised to those who obey!

“Obedience is Better than Sacrifice!”