*This 3 part series was taught at North Christian Church in July 2025. Please visit www.nccdighton.org to listen to these messages.
I was thinking, we might also call this series the benefits of being humble…
… because true humility is obedient, right?? – That’s like the very definition of humility. 😊
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Let’s review a few key principles before we finish up our mini series…
We must make sure our hearts are pure before God, even as we do His work.
I know we visited this verse last week, but I also read this verse this morning, another evidence of the pure heart being related to obedience…
… and obedience from the heart purify our souls! (supernaturally)
1Pe 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
Notice the wording…
We might think about it this way, but our words fall short of the supernatural reality…
When we obey the commands of God, we know we’re living in righteousness, and as such we have a clean conscience and a pure heart before God.
Again, can you say PEACE?? 😊
So, the Spirit has us talking about the biblical benefits of obedience, and that obedience must be from the heart.
And regarding receiving correction and exhortation from our spiritual authorities…
Our first reaction to challenging teaching or correction shouldn’t be defensiveness, but rather openness. And this takes humility, for sure, but stay in that pocket…
… stay in that place of humility, even if your Pastor points something out to you that you don’t agree with/understand at first.
Humility will stay the course and stay submissive to the Pastor, to the advantage of the whole church family, if you think about it.
Please remember: It’s the shepherd’s heart that makes them so bold at times, for our benefit, even though we might not see what he sees at the time.
Let’s again take a look at Paul’s heart, which he openly revealed to us throughout the letters to the churches.
1Th 2:8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
1Th 2:9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
1Th 2:10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.
1Th 2:11 For you know how, like a father with his children,
1Th 2:12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God (men of God will do whatever is necessary to get our attention), who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
There’s the motivation; to have God’s children walk in a manner worthy of God!
THIS is why men of God can be so bold and intense at times.
They see the big picture, and they also usually see things that are spoiling our opportunity to bring glory to God with our lives.
So, pray for them! Pray for their wisdom and their leadership. And pray for your own humility.
We should HONOR men of God, for putting their own lives aside and attentively looking after our souls; having a unique gift given them by God.
Amen??
Here’s a little more encouragement on how to relate to our spiritual authorities…
1Th 5:12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
1Th 5:13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
Any questions?? 😊
If we are humble enough to have high respect for our spiritual authorities, we’re the ones who end up blessed, not to mention having encouraged them.
To start, there are two big biblical benefits of Obedience: Protection and Rewards/Blessings.
Regarding the idea of protection…
… God knows we live in enemy territory, so He provides commands to preempt the temptations we will face!
He’s given us commands in every area of our lives, thank God, so we know the right way… this is why His commands are such a blessing.
“Just show me the right way, Lord!”, and He does this through commands, both from the Word of God and in our personal lives.
How about this passage to help us see the benefits of obeying God’s commands??
Pro 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
Pro 3:2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Pro 3:3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Pro 3:4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (isn’t it funny how we say we want Him to make our paths straight, but we don’t acknowledge Him in ALL our ways??)
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. (how many of us are wise in our own eyes, even as believers?! UGH!)
Pro 3:8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Talk about the blessings that come from obedience!
Again; God knows we live in enemy territory, so He provides commands to preempt the temptations we will face!
We also saw the rewards for the faithful servants in the parables of the minas and the talents…
… and how, because of WHO HE IS, He rewards us far beyond our imaginations for something we don’t even deserve as unworthy servants. 😊
This brings us to the main passage that triggered this series; on the Biblical benefits of Obedience…
… for the beautiful build-up, it’s worth a read-through one more time…
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
Psa 19:8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
Psa 19:9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
When we adhere to God’s commands and God’s precepts, we are blessed… and this blessing takes many different forms…
… in fact, it takes forms we don’t even know about, and can’t put into words.
Peace is one of those benefits we can’t even describe at times.
2Th 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Now there’s a prayer, both for ourselves and for one another!
But peace won’t be found apart from obedience… and yet, it’s one of the great benefits of obedience.
“Obedience Relieves Stress”, Blog from 11/18/22
The more we are sanctified over time, the more we understand that peace and obedience are two sides of the same coin.
-Isaiah 48:17-18 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Stress is antithetical to peace. What’s our escape? Obedience relieves stress and leads us back to peace. Our part in sanctification is obedience.
Let’s close out our series by visiting more passages that reveal the benefits of obedience.
Look for this as you read your Bibles, because it’s all over the place! 😊
For example, I just read Psa 37:
Psa 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psa 37:6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
In other words, GOD will vindicate you.
Due to your trust and obedience, GOD “will bring forth your righteousness as the light”, even in the face of the attacks in this devil’s world.
Can we put our finger on exactly what this looks like in our lives? Or do we trust God for His supernatural ways of blessings and peace?
Psa 37:30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
Psa 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
Psa 37:32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
Psa 37:33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Psa 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I met a young man today who said “Jesus hasn’t not answered my prayers, ever… sometimes I have to wait, but I always eventually get an answer.” – there’s some humble wisdom from a young man of God. 🙂
Here we see the direct relationship between obedience to God’s commands and God’s protection and blessings. 😊
Pro 11:18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
Isa 3:10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
Eph 6:5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
Eph 6:6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
Eph 6:7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
Eph 6:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
Again, God promises we will receive and produce good fruit by following His ways from the heart.
Any questions?? But wait, there’s more 😊
Col 3 has a very similar passage to what we just read in Eph 6; Paul of course being the author in each of these letters to different churches.
Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (is there anything better??)
Col 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Col 3:22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Col 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
We’d almost be remiss if we didn’t include some wisdom from James into this discussion.
As we close, let’s visit 2 passages that show us the direct correlation between obedience and blessings.
Jas 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Jas 1:20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Jas 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Jas 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
Jas 1:24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Jas 1:25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Jas 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Jas 4:5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
Jas 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Jas 4:9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
In closing, I hope you let this series motivate you.
God’s Word reveals a direct correlation between obedience and protection/blessings.
It is the humble, obedient heart that will receive God’s grace, over and above what can be expected.
IN HIM, and because of HIM, we rejoice, because God is always faithful to His Word.