Obedience

[Scott]

Our obedience is a pleasure to the Lord.

8 But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord.
9 This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God.
Genesis 6:8–9

But what about the feeling we get from our obedience to God's plan for us. When I'm disobedient I feel that Holy Spirit and want to make a change in my behavior. When I make that change and do what is right in God's sight I feel like I'm growing in Christ Image, sanctification.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says that “we are being transformed into Christ's likeness”

Christlikeness is God's goal for all who trust in Christ, and that should be our goal also.

I like this from Oswald Chambers

Sanctification
But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin] 1 Cor. 1:30.

The Life Side. The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.
The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you.” It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification, and imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God’s grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?

Sanctification means the impartation of the holy qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness “Kept by the power of God.”

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

 

[civic]

I might add this- it should be the believers “ pleasure “ to serve, obey, walk with Jesus on a daily basis. It’s a privilege to serve Him. It should be something we have to do but we get to do.

We need to change our thinking process. It’s not a burden , it’s a privilege and our pleasure to walk with Him. Fixing our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Amen !

 

[Scott]

That exactly where I was headed. It gives us:

“ pleasure “ to serve, obey, walk with Jesus on a daily basis.

Jesus came to serve not to be served Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45

And we are "Imitators of Christ".

And that refers to the Christian practice of following Jesus' example in our life, as detailed in the New Testament. This involves emulating His character and actions, such as walking in love, kindness, and forgiveness, and refraining from behaviors like greed and immorality. The concept is rooted in the idea of discipleship, where followers learn and model their lives after their teacher.

 

[Jay]

Scripture describes a very close relationship between knowing God and obedience, in several ways.

First knowledge of God produces obedience. If we know Christ, indeed, if we love him, we will keep his commandments.

John 14:15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.

Obedience leads to the knowledge of God. Jesus says in John 7:17, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority”. You see? A desire to obey leads to the knowledge that Jesus’ words come from God.

The obedient heart comes first, the knowledge second. And then, certainly, the new knowledge will lead to new obedience, the new obedience to still more knowledge, and so on.

There is a spiral relationship between knowledge and obedience: more of the one leads to more of the other. We’re used to hearing people say that knowledge comes first, then ethics; knowledge first, then obedience. But the Bible, remarkably, teaches also that obedience leads to knowledge.


One reason why obedience is so important is if you want to know whether someone knows God, look at their life. 1John 2:3–4 tells us: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him”