Obedience is the Path to Salvation

God has Been Working From the Beginning

For God’s people, it is imperative to come to know God and follow God’s teachings in obedience. When we come to know God we can see many important qualities of God, one of which is that God sees the future. To have a guaranteed beautiful future we come to know God fully and then grow to have obedience to God’s path. Therefore, we must press on to know God

Hosea 6:3 ‘Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth’

When we press on to know God will come to know God’s plan and follow it in obedience. Only then will everything go well with us. God has already taught us from the beginning the way to heaven so we can simply just follow in obedience.

Isaiah 46:10 ‘I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.’

Obedience is the path to blessings from God

The Israelites walked in the desert for 40 years to receive a great test in obedience. Then God revealed the purpose of their journey as they walked in obedience it was so that all things would go well for them

Deuteronomy 8:16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

As God knows the end from the beginning, God taught them that when they walked in obedience to God’s path all would go well with them. It is the same for us when we follow God’s path the greatest result will be our end which is salvation.

The Disciples had Stronger Faith When They saw God’s Plan

We often struggle to fully think that God’s plan is perfect and that as long as we follow we will receive a great result. However, to show us that this is the case, God foretold many things before they happened. This was the case for the disciples as well. Though they had good faith, they could fully realize God’s path when they saw what Jesus foretold. In order to follow with humility and obedience, they became witnesses to God’s plan said before it took place. Let’s take the case of Apostle Peter.

John 13:34-38 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Apostle Peter really had great faith and could not believe that he would deny Christ even saying he would die with Christ. However, just as Jesus said, he denied him and it took place exactly as it was said. Also, in the case of Judas, Jesus described the actions in detail of what he would do and said he would betray him.

Matthew 26:20-26 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Jesus said all these things beforehand to give us faith that God knows exactly what is going to happen. Therefore when we follow God we will walk on the best path that leads to salvation.

Why Should We Have Obedience to God’s Path?

As God sees our future and is guiding us there if we fail to follow God we can not be saved in the end. However, those who follow God and keep what God says will have the best foundation, and all things will go well.

Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

It’s God’s amazing plan and love that is guiding us to the kingdom of heaven. Therefore to enter heaven we must follow it and have faith that God knows our future better than we know it ourselves.