Romans 2:13 says: For it is not those who hear the Word of God who are in right standing with God, but it is those who obey the Word who will be declared righteous.

It’s such a little word, obey, and to many it’s just another ‘four-letter word’ to be avoided at all cost. However, obedience is the key to so much that we desire from God: peace of mind, to live victoriously, to hear the Holy Spirit, to witness effectively, to name just a few.

In John 14:15-31, Jesus is talking to the disciples about the Holy Spirit and says point blank “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth.” And then a few verses later, we read this: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

Remember the hymn, ‘Trust and Obey’? It’s true! Google it and see how true it is. And if you want to know how important it is, think about this. Jesus’ last words to the disciples (Matthew 28:16-20), which is referred to as The Great Commission, says that we are to teach others to OBEY everything He has commanded. It’s not enough to know what He said, we must do what He said to be saved.

If you want your testimony to be effective, OBEY Him.
If you want your life to be pleasing to God, OBEY Him.
If you want to hear from God, OBEY Him.
If you want to be happy, if you want to be fulfilled, if you want to show God how much you love Him, OBEY Him.

If I were talking to you face to face, I would say this very quietly–it’s just that important: It’s not enough to hear the Word, you must obey the Word for God to live in you. My prayer is that you will trust and obey.