Deliberate Obedience Vs. Passive Rebellion

God has two kinds of children. Those that are “waiting for something to happen” and those that “make things happen.” Many never breakthrough the prevailing religious deception of “waiting on God.” Heaven is hiring, God’s children promise to serve in the Father’s Family Business, but very few show up for work and do anything for Him.

Every battle in life is against doing the good works that glorify the Father. The enemy doesn’t mind if people study all day, pray all day, go to church every day, work all day, or play all day, just as long as they don’t obey the truth that they know. Once they ever obey the truth that glorifies God, all Hell breaks loose from every side to prevent Heaven from being manifested on Earth to keep the majority in spiritual darkness.

When Jesus came to the Earth He deliberately devoted His life to seeking and obeying the Father’s will to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on the Earth for Him. He did good works to show the world who the Father was, and what His will is for mankind. He did not leave it to chance and passively wait on God to bring Heaven to Earth. He prayed and obeyed the Father’s written and spoken Word.

Jesus took personal responsibility of fulfilling The Father’s will by devoting His entire life to seeking what God had already said concerning His will for Him since childhood. He did not pursue higher education, professional achievements, nor seek to please His natural relatives or spiritual leaders. He had one objective and one focus of preparation to do His Father’s will at all costs. Through His devotion and consecration, the Father was able to form, build, and strengthen His character, increase His wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill enabling Him to fulfill all the Father’s plan for His life.

“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Your will, O my God: yea, Your law is within My heart. (Psalm 40:7-8)

“And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto him, Son, why have You thus dealt with us? behold, Your father and I have sought You sorrowing. And He said unto them, ‘How is it that you sought Me? Didn’t you know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:42-49)

“Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of You, and You come to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, ‘Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he suffered Him.” (Matthew 3:13-15)

God is not looking for the strong, the intelligent, the influential, or the wealthy; He is looking for a true heart that will take the responsibility of fulfilling His will on the earth. After a man deliberately seeks and obeys what is already revealed in Scripture, only then will God give further revelation as it is needed.

God can supply anything we lack. The weak are made strong when they live by the strength of the Almighty. The poor are made rich when they live by the wisdom of the Possessor of Heaven and Earth. The foolish are made wise when they live by the light of the Omniscient One. God rewards the diligent seeker of His word with revelation. However, the passive allow the spirit of the world to dominate the devotion and focus of their hearts, and the Kingdom and will of God remain hidden from them. They will never fulfill the plan of God for their lives on the Earth no matter how much they desire it.

Jesus deliberately created a lifestyle of doing good. He did not hide in a monastery praying for the Kingdom of God to come and will of God to be done on the Earth. He took personal responsibility to do the Father’s will for His life, because He knew the Kingdom was already within Himself as it is in every believer. Nothing will ever change in this world until a man receives revelation of the truth and takes action to manifest it. If God wanted to do everything Himself, He would have never created man. The Father did us a favor by allowing us to participate in His Family Business. He is willing to teach and train His children, but they must have a heart after Him that takes responsibility of seeking and doing the Father’s will. He has already spoken and written His will by the Holy Spirit within His Word for us to deliberately make happen on the earth by faith.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38)

Jesus deliberately took the initiative to fulfill every word God spoke about His life even while He was on the Cross to make sure He fulfilled all of the Father’s will on the earth.

“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst.’ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, ‘It is finished:’ and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:28-30)

Jesus said, Follow Me. That means He is in front leading the way. If He is in front, Who is waiting on who? Jesus is the One that is waiting on you to be one of the few that will take the personal responsibility of seeking and obeying what God has already spoken.

Why did God save the Apostle Paul instead of judge and condemn Him like He did to King Herod? They were both murderers of Christians, but the Apostle Paul was sincerely obedient to what he knew was right. All God had to do was reach Him with revelation of the truth as he lived with integrity to the knowledge he had to direct him into His plan for his life.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 1:12-14)

Once the Apostle Paul received revelation of the truth, he did not passively wait on God to give him further instructions of where to go, what to do, and what to say. He took personal responsibility to obey the revelation that God had already spoken thousands of years before in the Scripture. He deliberately took actions to fulfill the Scriptures that he knew. God went with him everywhere he went, confirming His word with signs following, directing His steps as necessary, because he lived by faith in what God had already said.

“Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” (Acts 26:19-20)

“And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.” (Acts 16:4-10)

Break off the yoke of passive rebellion; displace the distractions, lusts, and cares of this world by deliberately focusing your heart and mind on the Word of God, devoting your life to pay the price of discipline, diligence, preparation, and obedience to the call from Heaven.

The Light from Heaven is waiting to shine upon you. The voice in the Burning Bush is waiting to speak to you. If you will turn aside from the idols of the world that keep you “busy”, the darkness that covers your heart and mind will be enlightened by the Light of revelation. Darkness is not only the opposite of Light. It is the absence of Light. The Light doesn’t reveal something new; it simply exposes what is already there hidden in the darkness.

“Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.” (2 Corinthians 3:16)