WE are not our own. We have been bought with a price—the precious blood of Christ; we are therefore not to live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again. We are to obey and glorify God, because we are His. He hath given us His Holy Spirit. In the riches of His grace, He passed by us, saw us polluted in our blood, and said, “Live;” He looked upon us, spread His skirt over us and covered our nakedness, aware unto us, entered into covenant with us, thoroughly washed us, and we became His. (Ez. 16:6, &c.) We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus; but let us never forget, “unto good works.” Being now children of God, we should be “obedient children.” We are called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ, to “walk as He walked.” We are born again of water and of the Spirit, that we should “walk in newness of life” – “walk in the Spirit.” “We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should show forth the excellencies of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
The great abuse that Israel of old made of the words and ordinances of God, was to retain the outward farm, and seek their own comfort and ease, without obeying the voice of the Lord. The burden of the prophet’s testimony against Israel was their disobedience. Saul thought it was of little consequence not to slay all the Amalekites and their cattle; he saw no harm in retaining some sheep, a few oxen, and Agag their ling; but it was very hateful to God, it was positive disobedience to His holy word, it was self-will, carnal policy, and was evil in the sight of the Lord. Hence the prophet exclaimed, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry; because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1 Sam. 15:22, 23.)
Again, and again, the prophet Jeremiah sounded in the ears of the people, “Ye have not obeyed My voice, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 3:13.) “I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: but this thing I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice. . . . but they hearkened not unto Me.” (Jer. 7:21-26.) They obeyed the commandment of Jonadab their father, but they “hearkened not unto Me,” saith the Lord. (Jer. 35:14.) They walked after the imagination of their own hearts, but they obeyed not the Lord. (Jer. 22:21.) Daniel, with chastened soul before God, acknowledged this sin, saying, “We obeyed not Thy voice.” (Dan. 9:14.)
The prophet Zephaniah also charged Israel with not obeying the voice of God, not receiving correction, not trusting in the Lord, and not drawing near unto her God. (Zep. 3:2)
Talking about Jesus may be a sentiment, obeying His word must be a reality; the former may be connected with great profession, while the latter may be scarcely seen. O for more exercise of conscience before God, as to how we deal with the Holy Scriptures, which He hath given, to throughly furnish us unto all good works! (2 Tim. 3:16.)
Being not under the law, but under grace, obeying the word of our Lord Jesus Christ is surely our only be coming or happy position. Christ Himself is the perfection of obedience, and we have received His word and Spirit to follow His steps. Let us not deceive ourselves. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. It was Christ’s delight to do the will of Him that sent Him, and He says, “Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.” To be only hearers, and not doers of the word, is what our great enemy desires. It is an awful deception, for such think they have got blessing when they have not. It is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass and turning away again; he has beheld something, but has neither tasted, nor enjoyed, nor received any good. In keeping His commandments there is great reward; but let us beware of sentimentality, and of that knowledge which puffeth up. We are not to please ourselves, but to glorify God; not to follow men, but to follow Christ; not to obey human rules and systems, but to obey the word of God; not to walk after our own imaginations, but to walk in the truth. O wretched self-will, vile fancied wisdom, miserable unbelief that pretends to a better path than the leading of the Holy Ghost by the written word!
May God keep us, beloved, abiding in Christ, walking in Christ, bearing faithfully “the testimony” of Christ, waiting for Christ, that we may walk worthy of Him who hath called us unto His kingdom and glory.