Why Obey God? – Part 1 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

Subscribe to the ‘Time With God’ Podcast

Transcript

Good morning, and I’m here to help you start your day right by taking some time with God together.

The week is beginning and as you head into it, it’s so important to go in with a spiritual perspective on your life with a godly world view that says my Christianity is not just for church, but my relationship with God will be the most important thing about me this week. About my interactions with people, about my business, about my own inner life, my own walk with God will be the key to it all.

And starting each day in conversation with God is one of the best ways to make that a reality.

Let’s start the conversation by allowing God to speak to us in His Word.

We’re looking this week at the theme why obey God.

And we want to look today in 1 Peter chapter 3, starting in verse 13. It says,

And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and don’t fear their intimidation and do not be troubled. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defence to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Why?

So that you’re ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that’s in you.

Keep a good conscience, why?

So that those who revile your good behaviour in Christ will be put to shame.

Do you see what the Lord is saying to us today?

He’s saying to you that your obedience to God gives power to the gospel in the lives of those who know you. That is, when they think about your life, it gives credibility to your message.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to share Christ with someone while I was travelling on the aeroplane. And as I shared with her, she spoke to me with such a warm heart about some other real Christians she knew, and she saw the distinction between a real Christian and just a religious person. Well, those Christians’ lives had left her heart open to my witness to her.

There have been many other times when I’ve shared Christ with people and they have antagonistically referred to Christians they knew who were pure hypocrites or who had treated them badly. While those Christian lives had closed the door of those people’s hearts to my witness.

I think the Lord wants us to remember today that our spiritual choices are always about a much bigger picture than just our own relationship with God. Yes, your relationship with God will be deeply affected by your obedience to Him, but also people around you will see in your life the reality or the fakeness of your walk with God.

And that’s going to affect their response to Jesus Christ.

The impact of your spiritual choices is always much bigger than you are aware of at the time. The best way to live is simply to obey God.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

Feature image: Canva