An obedient heart

Together, faith and obedience, give us the formula for dunamis power, “dynamite”, the power to change death into life. God is full of faith and he acts upon it. This is how the whole creation story takes place. It is a word being obedient to faith and faith speaking that word knowing it would be obedient. It is this faith that is in you and me, a measure given to all men and it waits for an obedient heart to work out its’ salvation.

This is a “wave your hands in the air and yell at the top of your lungs” exciting kind of concept. It will carry you into battle by raising your adrenaline, but it will not sustain you nor will it give you victory, so do not go charging off just quite yet. First comes practice, starting with the everyday things that God has called us to be obedient to, such as your parents, your teachers, and your boss. This everyday obedience is your walk with God. The parable of the talents comes to mind here.

Matthew 25:14-29
14. For the kingdom of heaven is…

I have to stop right here for just a second and clarify something. The Kingdom of Heaven is not where you go when you get old and die. When death happens, you go to heaven. No, here we are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a government or a governing mindset. It is the way you govern your “self”. It is not a place or something you can hold or touch.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

It is in the “Holy Ghost” because you cannot on your own, have righteousness. You also will not have peace and even though you may be happy, there is no joy outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

14. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

If you are obedient to what God has given you, then you will begin to realize even more, what God has given you. If you are not obedient to what God has given you, then that which you have, will be lost. You see, it is your obedience that you should be asking God to help you with not that you can have more faith. Believe it or not, you do not need more faith, you have plenty. We see this “measure of faith” as being like the grain of a mustard seed, actually less because we are seemingly powerless to overcome or to be over comers.

Matthew 17:14-21
14. And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15. Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Did you see in verse 17 how Jesus described the people? They were faithless and perverse. What does that mean, perverse? The Strong’s Concordance says it means to turn away. I think that means to be disobedient, don’t you? Then to the disciples, Jesus says, if you want to have this kind of faith you have to be obedient to prayer and fasting.

OK, I am sure you have the picture, no need to beat a dead horse. We all need to work on our obedience to God. It is diabolically against our sin nature but at least at this point we know that at every place where we are tempted to disobey we can choose grace to overcome our “self” and become more than conquerors.