“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Romans 5: 19 KJV

There is no substitute for obedience.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that it was because of the disobedience of one man, Adam,  that sin entered into the world.   Our world has been broken and corrupted by sin ever since.  We can see the impact of sin  all around us every day. Homes, marriages and individual lives are marred by the influence of sin. 
Institutions are impacted by sin as well because they are managed by sinful people.   The message is clear, disobedience has serious consequences. 

But just as disobedience has consequences, so does obedience.  The good news of the Gospel is that One Man, Jesus, totally and completely obeyed the will of the Heavenly Father in every way.   As a result, all who are redeemed by His Precious Blood are the recipients and beneficiaries of His obedience. 

Obedience is not always easy.  It  is easier in some situations than others.  But in all situations it requires us submitting our fleshly desires to the cross and simply doing what the Lord would have us to do.  God always makes it clear to us what we need to do.  Just as He made His wishes known to Adam, He makes His wishes known to us.  He does not leave us in the dark. He has given us clear instructions  through His Word and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  And the Lord always helps us to obey if we will  yield to Him! 

It was not easy for Jesus to obey.  The torture of the cross was not easy.  The very idea of being separated from His Heavenly Father when our sin was placed upon Him was not easy  (Matthew 27:46).   But Jesus understood the importance of obedience.  There could be no substitute.  The entire fate of the human race hung in the balance.  Would He choose the Father’s will or His own? (Luke 22: 40-44). 

Thankfully, Jesus chose the path of obedience.  And all of us who are redeemed have received the blessing and the benefit of that obedience.  So the next time you are tempted not to obey the Lord,  just remember that your obedience can have an impact that is far greater than you can imagine.  The obedience of Jesus was not just about Himself.  It was about all of us!  To Him, pleasing the Father was more important than pleasing Himself.  I shudder to  think of where we would be if He had not obeyed the Father! 

James W. Black