Reading Scripture: Philippians 2:8
Verse to Memorize: 1 Samuel 15:22
Reference: 2 Corinthians 1:19, Hebrews 5:8-9
Goal: to help believers experience the works of God by obeying the Word of God only with ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ and showing the evidences of faith
To obey the Word of God only with ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ is the shortcut to bringing down God’s answers and blessings. 1 Samuel 15:22 reads, “Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.'”
Jesus obeyed in accordance with the will of God to save mankind who had all become sinners. He obeyed even until He was crucified. In order to fulfill His duty as the Savior, what kind of obedience did Jesus show to God?
1. Jesus opened the way of salvation for mankind through His complete obedience
Adam was able to enjoy eternal life in the Garden of Eden before he became a sinner. However, he committed a sin by disobeying and eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that was forbidden by God, and according to justice that says, ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23) he reached death and he was destined to Hell.
God foreknew Adam would disobey, so even before the ages He prepared Jesus Christ to open the way of salvation for men in His justice. That is why Jesus, who is the Word, became the flesh and came to the earth in a human form.
The Savior was prophesied and the enemy devil and Satan knew it so they looked for the opportunity to kill Jesus. They instigated evil people to persecute Him and eventually to crucify Him. They thought that they would be able to keep controlling men who had become sinners and lead them to Hell as long as they put Jesus to death, who had come to the earth to become the Savior.
But Jesus had no original sin and He did not commit any sin. Thus, there was no reason for Him to be put to death in accordance with the law of justice, which reads ‘Wages of sin is death’. When the enemy devil and Satan crucified Jesus, it was in violation of the law of justice and Jesus ended up overcoming death and being resurrected. Therefore, anyone who believes Jesus Christ can be saved and gain Heaven and eternal life. This is the mystery of God that had been hidden since before the ages (1 Corinthians 2:7).
Jesus never thought, ‘Why do I have to die on behalf of sinners though I have no sin at all?’ Just as God planned the providence of salvation, He was crucified. Because there was such a perfect obedience of Jesus, the way of salvation could be opened for all mankind.
2. Jesus obeyed the justice of the first heaven
Jesus came to the earth in the same form as man even though He is one with God the Creator in origin. He felt hunger and tiredness, and also felt pain, sorrow and loneliness since He lived according to the justice of the first heaven.
Before the onset of His public ministry, Jesus offered up 40 days of fasting to fulfill His duty as the Savior. He is the Master of all things in heaven and earth, but He offered fasting and cried out in prayer to fulfill God’s providence. During the period of 40-day-fasting, He received three tests from the enemy devil and Satan. But He was not tempted by it at all and drove them away with the Word.
Also, as the Son of God He can perform miraculous signs and wonders anytime He wants. But He showed those powerful works only when it was needed in God’s providence; for example, when He changed water into wine and fed many people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Jesus has the power and authority to destroy those who crucified Him. However, He was silently persecuted and shed blood on the cross. He shed all His water and blood on the cross and took all sufferings to redeem men from their sins. That is why Hebrews 5:8-9 reads, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
Jesus abided by the law of justice with perfect obedience. Thus, anyone who accepted the Lord and live in the truth can go out of the way of death as a servant of sins and can reach salvation as a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:16).
3. Deeds of obedience are the proofs of faith
Mark 9:23 says, “And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Anyone who believes can experience the works of God the Almighty. When they pray with faith, diseases will go away. When they command with faith, the demons will go away and all trials and afflictions will disappear. It is by ‘deeds of obedience’ that confirms the fact that everything will be done with faith in accordance with the law of justice.
Elijah told the widow in Zarephath to bring the last food to him. What if she had said she believed that Elijah is a man of God but she had not obeyed his word? Then, because she hadn’t shown the evidence of faith, the works of God wouldn’t have occurred. But she obeyed and her deed became the evidence of faith, so the work of God could happen according to the justice?All things are possible to him who believes.’
When God gives us dreams and visions, it is so important how well we keep them in heart and believe and obey them until the end. Joseph believed his God-given dream and obeyed God’s guidance longing for God’s work to occur in any situation. While living as a slave in the prison, he did not doubt the God-given dream, though he felt like he was going the opposite way to the dream. He obeyed God’s commands and walked the right path. God achieved the dream seeing Joseph’s faith and obedience. At the age of 30, he became the prime minister of Egypt, the superpower of the world at the time, and second only to the Pharaoh.
4. What must be done to experience God’s amazing works.
First, we need to obey the Word of God from the 66 books of the Bible
Through the Bible, we need to understand the will of God and obey it. And we need to obey the words preached from the altar. That is, we have to obey what God told us to do, not to do, to keep, and to throw away something because it is the law of God’s justice.
For instance, the Bible tells us to thoroughly repent of our sins. It is to let us know the law to receive God’s answer뾵hen we repent of our sins, we can receive answers. It also tells us to cry out in prayer, which is to teach us the way of prayer worthy of answers in accordance with the law saying ‘in toil we will eat of it’ after Adam’s transgression (Luke 22:44). To find God and receive His answers, we should repent of our sins and cry out in prayer for our hearts’ desires. We have to destroy the wall of sins built up against God and ask for what we need, and show devotion and faith.
Secondly, we need to believe in the words of a pastor whom God is with, and obey them.
When this church opened, someone got cancer and was carried on a stretcher to the church. He attended the worship service lying on the stretcher. The Senior Pastor told him to sit up and offer up the worship service. Then, his family helped him sit up and offer up the worship service. But, didn’t the Senior Pastor know that the person felt it very difficult for him to sit up? Yes, he did. But, the Senior Pastor said what he did in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the man obeyed his word. In the end, he experienced the work of healing.
Thirdly, we should obey the works of the Spirit.
In order to receive God’s answers, we should obey the urging of the Spirit while listening to the Word and praying. This is because the Spirit guides us to the way of answers according to the law of justice. For instance, suppose you received the urging of the Spirit who told you to pray after the worship service today. Then, you should just obey. When you obey, the spirit of repentance will come to you. Then, the wall of sin can be destroyed or you can receive the gift of tongue. Such grace of God can come to you. Sometimes you can receive answers to prayer.
In order to experience the works of God in the law of justice, everyone should show deeds of faith in obedience. Just as Jesus showed the example, when we obey regardless of circumstance and condition, the works of God will be fulfilled. I hope you will experience the works of God firsthand by obeying with ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ before the Word of God.
