God requires everyone to walk in obedience, but not until His Spirit is living within.  When we decide that God’s will is to be our will, His Holy Spirit is given to enable obedience.  As this position of obedience is maintained, we will be willing to obey every command, because God gives the ability—we just make the decision. 

Opposition to God’s Word comes from people who are unwilling to have Jesus be their Master.  Obedience to God’s Word is for those who want their faith refined—like Abraham James 2:22 “by his actions his faith was perfected.”
            Obedience under the New Covenant is just as necessary as obedience under the old law.  The commands of God are not a matter of merit, but a matter of death to self’s control, and living by the Spirit’s control.  Every Word of the New Testament was written for our salvation—none can be rejected without fatal results.  If we obey God in most things, but are rebellious in one, it is the same as disobeying God with everything James 2:10.  ”Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says” James 1:22.

            Jesus told us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us” Matthew 5:44-45, “so you may become true sons of your Father in Heaven.”  He told us Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up stores of wealth for yourselves on earth, but amass wealth for yourselves in Heaven.”  Eternal salvation hinges on whether we love God enough to obey His Word without question. 

Deuteronomy 4:2 ”Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you from the Lord your God.  Just obey them.”  King Saul did not keep the command of God.  The devil suggested to him that it would be no harm to change God’s Word in an emergency.  That was the beginning of his fall from grace.  Satan took possession of him, and God’s Spirit left him—that was the result of disobeying God’s command, not repenting, and not getting back in God’s will.

            From that moment, the king had no peace, met with one trouble after another, finally committed suicide, and went straight to the lake of fire.  All of that resulted because of two acts of disobedience.  One was refusing to obey God in reference to His command to destroy the Amalekites.  The king obeyed part of the command, but not all of it.  It would be like someone obeying God’s Word on healing, but not on finances.  It was about money that the king was rebellious toward God.

            The other disobedience resulted from fear.  The Philistines were ready to attack, and the prophet did not arrive on time, so the king offered the sacrifice himself—something he was not authorized to do.  Previously, God had thrown the Philistines into a panic, when Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering 1 Samuel 7:10, but this time King Saul was terrified of the Philistines and decided to offer the sacrifice himself, when the prophet was delayed.

            As soon as he disobeyed God’s command, the prophet arrived.  1 Samuel 13:13 "You acted fool-ishly," Samuel said.  "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you.”  Far too many have made that same mistake, and used that same excuse—“We had to worship somewhere,” so they support a church that does not teach God’s truth, or they disobey God on some other issue.  God’s Word says to not have close fellowship with unbelievers—even though they profess to be Christians.

            The Word is clear 2 Corinthians 6:14 ”Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Spiritual light is obedience to God’s Word, and spiritual darkness is disobedience to the Word.  16 As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’  ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’  ‘I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’”

            Obedience is required by God—James 1:22 ”Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  Jesus reminded us Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  Doing His will is obeying His Word.

Stealing is a serious crime as well as a sin, but being guilty of resentment will also keep us out of heaven.  Matthew 6:15 ”If you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  If we cannot truly love people and forgive everyone from the heart, we will land in the flames—make no mistake about that.

Matthew 18:35 "In the same way my Heavenly Father will deal with you, if you do not all of you forgive one another from your hearts."  It is God’s responsibility is to bring justice.  Romans 12:19 ”Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.”  If we disobey God by resenting wrongs, it shows that self is not willing to die.

            Jesus said that whoever heard His teaching, and put it into practice, they would be like one who built their spiritual house on a rock.  Trials, temptations, and tests would not cause it to collapse.  Matthew 7:26-27 ”But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

            The believer’s response to insults, injustices, or loss is, not to retaliate, not reply, nor seek retribution, but to place the matter completely before God in prayer.  We are to obey God’s Word and not keep emergency money on earth Matthew 6:19-21.  We are to place our treasure in heaven, because Jesus said Matthew 19:21, "If you want to be perfect [in faith and obedience], go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."

            Obedience is required, in regard to giving to those who ask, or those who want to borrow from us.  Jesus said Luke 6:35 ”Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”

            These instructions were written for our believing, living, and obeying.  It is not about works, but all about love for God, faith in Christ, and trusting in His atonement blood for salvation.  These are real-life issues for real live people. 

1 Peter 1:13-16 ”Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self- controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance [don’t slip back].  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’"

            The believer is to act entirely different from people in the world, who do not trust God for anything.  We are given a new life and attitude that wants to trust God for everything—healing, finances, peace, protection, provisions, and all things in this life.  We gladly obey His instructions because it is all part of growing in faith.  Hebrews 12:14 “Persistently strive for peace with all men, and for that growth in holiness apart from which no one will see the Lord.”

            The old life is over, and the new life is now ours.  The apostle said that his focus was only on the cross Galatians 6:14 “through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  He did not live like the world anymore—in disobedience to God’s will and Word.  Outward things meant nothing 15, “what counts is a new creation,” or different attitude, that is willing to obey God’s Word concerning every part of the Christian life.

            This huge change in us is the huge difference between the devil and the Lord.  1 Peter 1:15 ”He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”  The way God wants us to act, is what we are willing to do, through obedience to His Word and the power of His Spirit.  In every action, we are to be obedient to the New Testament—as it is required, “be holy in all you do.”

            We have been saved from eternal suffering by the shed blood of Christ.  Our obedience to the Word just gives evidence that Jesus is living within our heart.  It just shows that we truly believe that His blood cleanses us from all sin 1 John 1:7.

            1 John 2:4 ”The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”  The person who is not willing to obey God’s Word in everything, is being as disobedient as someone who lies, steals, commits adultery, goes to a hospital, resents a wrong, or depends on laid-up money.

            The Bible is written so plainly that any Spirit-filled child of God can understand it, and can apply its principles of truth.  No one will have to explain it to us, because God supplies the ability to walk in the light of it, by His Holy Spirit living within.  The only question we must settle once and for all is—whether God’s Word really means what it says.

            When God speaks plainly on any subject, we are to obey without question—like Abraham and Noah did.  It does not matter if the entire world disobeyed God’s Word, and every church member who ever belonged to a congregation disobeyed, we are to believe God, accept the atonement sacrifice of His Son as the value price paid for our sins, and walk in obedience to the Word.  It is required by God!