Notes
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 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.”
Matthew 28:18-20
It would have been easier for Jesus to say just to baptize people, but He also says to teach them to obey. Why? It’s not a list of rules, of things we can and can’t do; God is in the business of restoring life to its full! Obedience leads to the most freeing, uplifting, and life-giving experience with God we can have. But first, let’s look at what disobedience gets us:
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Genesis 3:1-13
There is a crafty adversary who is trying to get us to distrust everything God is telling us. He is a master manipulator who will use the little knowledge we have to make us question our faith. When Eve was talking to the serpent, she changed what God had actually told them, so that He sounded less generous. Notice what happened after they ate the fruit: the serpent promised that they would be like God, but all they could come up with for clothing was fig leaves. Instead of becoming like Him, Adam and Eve were overcome with feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy.
Disobedience affects us first, then it pushes us away from those closest to us. God knew that humanity wouldn’t be able to fix this problem on our own. The purpose of His plan of redemption was to get us back in a relationship with Him.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23-24
Paul stopped running and embraced how God had created him. He understood that God was working through him and that he just needed to trust God. And Psalm 139:23-24 shows that we should seek restoration to God and adoration of God. It means that instead of hiding and making fig leaves trying to be like God, we instead want God to reveal more to us.
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37-39
Obedience isn’t us trying to be God, and it’s not Him taking all of the joy out of life through a long list of rules we have to follow. It is living life how He intended: in a relationship with Him. He is the giver of true joy and peace. A changed life begins when you put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. And after you come to Jesus, there is always room to grow, to take another step in your faith.
Group Questions
- What is obedience?
- What are some other examples in the Bible or in your own life of where disobedience to God takes us?
- How is obedience to God freeing and uplifting?
- What is your next step in your journey?
Prayer
Thank you for giving us the way out of disobedience and into a life and relationship with you. Keep us on your path so that we can live life as you intended.