God has chosen to limit Himself to partnership with us on earth. God won’t violate our free will, and Satan can’t override it by force. It’s always up to us. Our choices either empower God to bless us, or empower the devil to destroy us. Our opening text declares this truth, so how can we limit God? In the first three parts of this study series, we’ve looked at the importance of mouth management, unforgiveness, unconfessed sin, an unrenewed mind and the problem of uncontrolled flesh. Today we examine the issue of disobedience.  

From the beginning of time, there have always been people who live lives of defiance and disobedience, yet claim to follow God. It’s the difference between what people say, and what people do. This was the case in the Old Testament before Jesus arrived, during the time when Jesus was here, and in the New Testament now. In the Old Testament, there were many Jews who claimed to be the true people of God, but weren’t because they were walking in disobedience to the guidelines God set forth in His word. God used Ezekiel to call them out.  

So they come to you as people do, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. Ezekiel 33:31,32

It was the same with the people Jesus dealt with personally in His earthly ministry, especially the Pharisees. Although they looked so good on the outside, they gave God nothing but lip service, and like other Old Testament prophets, the Lord called them out for it. 

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:7,8

“But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?" Luke 6:46

It’s no different today. The world is full of people who say they’re Christian, but are not. What they say does not line up with what they do.  

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:16

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:21-23 

Do you see that Jesus equates disobedience with lawlessness? Most believers wouldn’t think that’s the case, but as far as God is concerned, that’s exactly how He views it. There’s a lot of lawless Christians out there because they’re living lives peppered with disobedience towards God. They’ve opened a door to the devil, and the tragedy is they have no idea it has happened. As James says, they’ve deceived themselves.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

Also take note of the fact that Christians can be active in effective streams of outreach in the name of Jesus, and still walk with a lawless, disobedient attitude before the Lord. That’s a sobering fact to consider! You see, God honors His word, no matter who is speaking it or applying it in ministry. He won’t penalize the people who respond to His word and get His help, but unless the outreach worker repents of his or her disobedience now in this life, they will be judged for their defiant attitudes someday in heaven. That’s a rebuke they’ll carry for all eternity! That means we better fix things now, while we still can! We can’t pick and choose which commandments we’re to keep, or which set of instructions we’re to ignore. When God tells us what we should do or say, that’s it. There’s no discussion about it. Either we obey or we don’t.  

Timing is also an important element to a life of obedience. We must remember that any delay on our part can jeopardize critical encounters God is working on with us, or with others through us. The story of Philip the Evangelist is a great example of this.  

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning.

Acts 8:26,27

Notice what the angel said, and didn’t say. Philip was told to go into the desert – a harsh, desolate place - in between two set points on the map. No additional information was given! He wasn’t told that at that moment, a very influential foreigner was ready to get saved, but needed help in understanding key verses of scripture. God needed Philip to show up at the precise moment the eunuch reached what we now know to be Isaiah chapter 53, so he could explain to the eunuch that Jesus was the prophesied Savior he was reading about. Also, Philip wasn’t aware of the fact that once saved, God intended to use this man to go back to his home country, and with access to the Queen’s wealth, start funding the business of witnessing to fellow citizens, starting with the Queen herself. Only God knows how many Ethiopians got saved because of Philip’s decision to obey God immediately without question, but I’m sure there were many. However many there were, they’ll be eternally thankful to Philip, rejoicing for him someday in heaven, when he is richly rewarded for his obedience (Daniel 12:3).

Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. Matthew 7:24-27

Obedience to God builds our house on a solid foundation no devil can destroy. No storm from hell will shake us or break us when our obedience gives the Lord permission to bless us with His exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4).  

On the other hand, disobedience closes heaven’s highway, and makes our foundations for life shaky, weak and unstable. The reason for this is simple: disobedience is sin. We commit sin when we choose to disobey God, and that cuts God off in our lives. It also invites the devil and his demons to go ahead and steal, kill and destroy in our lives. When that happens the fall of our house is great. The choice is always up to us. Obedience to God’s word enables Him, and cuts the devil off. The reverse is true when we are walking in disobedience. The Lord is unable to help us, and the devil is free to attack our very foundations of faith. The only remedy for this is to realize our mistake, confess our sins, repent and come back into line with God’s plan and purpose for our lives. Don’t be like those Pharisees, who refused to make their adjustments, even after the Lord called them on it (Matthew 21:28-31).

Notice this in our opening passage from Psalms. The people of God didn’t just limit God occasionally. They did it again and again. Don’t make a habit of limiting the Holy One of Israel. Control your flesh, and don’t delay when God wants your assistance. Do that, and instead of failing God again and again, we’ll be triumphant in Christ again and again. It’s your choice!   

Never forget this truth: Matthew 12:50. Only those who are obedient to do the will of God are considered to be our Lord’s true family in heaven. No one else!