PART TWO: Individual Sins 

Disobedience

Throughdisobedience Saul lost his kingship, although he had put so much time andenergy into working for God. God is not interested in our self-chosen work andsacrifices, even when we say we are doing it for Him. When Saul clearly refusedto obey the command of the Lord, Samuel reminded him that "to obey isbetter than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15: 22). Obedience is pure love for God;disobedience is the selfish desire to satisfy our own egos.

Ifwe are Christians, we usually do not act in open disobedience likenon-believers. But, like Saul, we camouflage our disobedience. We say that ourwork is necessary, that it is a beneficial ministry for God and man. Yetwhether we are believers or unbelievers, unrepented disobedience belongs to thesins that deserve death (Rom. 1: 30-32). People who dare to commit this sinreject the will of God. They have separated themselves from God and are alreadyin death, although they may not realize it. But one day in the kingdom of deaththey will die a second death (Rev. 20: 14, 15; 21: 8). That is why we must turnaway from all disobedience.

Whenwe look at the people of Israel, we see the consequences of disobedience.Through disobedience the people of God turned away from God and most of theIsraelites died in the desert. They did not take God's words to heart: "Ifyou obey the voice of the Lord your God . . . all these blessings shall comeupon you" (Deut. 28: 1,2). Only out of love God demanded obedience. Onlyout of love He gave them His commandments; and only out of love He gives uscommandments today. They will lead us into good fortune if we let them bebinding for us. Disobedience on the other hand, always leads us intomisfortune.

Yes,disobedience, disrespect for the commandments of God which show us His will soclearly, is spreading more widely today than ever before. And the curse of thisdisobedience is already manifest in all the horror of sin, which ruins livesand leads to chaos. Does not God have to lament again today about the manynations and especially about His own people: "All day long I have held outmy hands to a disobedient and contrary people" (Rom. 10: 21). They"walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices" (Isa.65: 2). Often it is especially His own that are in danger of disobediencewithout their realizing it. 

They know His will and commandments better thanpeople who are separated from God and they know how important it is for them tolisten and obey. But today there are so many "reasonable" argumentsabout why the commandments of God are not binding on us, not even for usChristians. People say that the commandments have to be adjusted to theconditions of the times. But if Christians are disobedient and change thestandards of the commandments in a false manner, they will have to bear seriousconsequences.

Thereis still another form of disobedience, a "pious" form. ManyChristians spend themselves in service for the Lord. They offer one sacrificeafter another. And still they will bear no fruit. There is no blessing in theirwork, although they may be praised by many. God sees their hearts, but men onlysee what is before their eyes. Because of their work in the Kingdom of Godothers might praise them "to highest heaven" but in reality theirplace may be very far away from God. For their sacrifices were self-chosen;they were offered in disobedience to God.

Theremay have been a missionary who was sent home from the field, because she wassick. At the mission she had been admired for her dedication, love andwillingness to sacrifice. Back home she suddenly became unbearable, rebellingagainst everything, because she had to do administrative work. Why? She said,"I cannot live without serving men." But then God will pronounce thisverdict over her; "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15: 22).She could not humble herself in obedience to God's will-leaving her former workbecause of illness. Her ministry was not done out of love for God nor out ofpure love for man. She had lived for herself; she performed this ministry tosatisfy her own ego. She was missing the true love for Jesus, for Jesus said,"If a man loves me, he will keep my word" (John 14: 23); he will doGod's will.

Wesee how cleverly the enemy deals with us so-called "pious"Christians. He knows that we will not consciously commit an obvious sin,because we know that disobedience is a sin and will be punished severely. Thatis why he uses a different method to catch us in his trap. He tells us that weshould sacrifice something special for God and His service, or for ourneighbour in his need. But in face of the serious consequences thatdisobedience has for time and eternity, we should stop and ask God, "Placeme in the light of Your truth. Let me see the true motives for my actions andrepent when You unmask them and show me that my decisions and actions stemmedfrom disobedience!"

IfGod convicts us of disobedience and we find it difficult to be obedient to Hiswill, we should look at the countenance of Jesus, which is pure love and tellsus that His will is goodness. Jesus is asking us to accept His will and tocarry it out in obedience. He assures us that only our best interests lie inHis will. We hurt Jesus, if we do not believe that His heart is full of love,that His will is only goodness, and so try to frustrate His loving intentionsby disobedience.

Love obeys. Yes, if I love someone I can read his desires inhis eyes. We are called and redeemed to have such a relationship of love toGod; we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who said, "My food is todo the will of him who sent me" (John 4: 34). If our heart is resting inHis will, we will be filled with peace and joy. Then all our actions will bringforth eternal fruit, and God's blessing will rest upon all our ways.

Whenwe are at one with the will of God, our lives will be filled with power, forthen we are at one with Him who has all power in heaven and on earth. When wesurrender our will to God, His heart will be opened and a stream of love, peaceand joy will flow into our hearts. Being at one with the will of God remouldsus so that we will be like Him. Words are not sufficient to express thespiritual wealth that obedience and commitment of our wills to Him will bringus. 

When we obediently say, Yes, to the will of God, even when it comes to usthrough other people, our suffering and needs will lose their power. Thereforeno matter what it costs, we must always choose God's will and not our own. Inall matters, large and small, we are constantly confronted by this choice. Butevery time let us realize this: if we choose God's will and act according to Hiscommandment, we will be bound to Him. But if, in disobedience, we do our ownwill, we will be bound to Satan. Our lives will not be blessed and this willhave serious consequences in the other world.