To Know God is to Obey God

Knowing God and obeying God go hand in hand. You can't separate them. Keep Reading...

PRAY
Dear Jesus, I want to know you more and learn to obey your Word. Please speak clearly to me as I read. Thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

READ
Exodus 5:1-2 - Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.’ ”

Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

REFLECT
We often say to God, "I want to know you more." But do we say, "I want to obey you more"? You see we can't separate the knowing of God and the obeying of God. But, we try…

There are many people who profess a knowledge of God. They confess Jesus as their Savior. They believe in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. But, to these people there is a gap between belief and obedience.

Pharaoh stated the truth. He didn’t know God, so he had no reason to obey him. Unfortunately, many profess belief in God, yet still refuse to obey.

To know God is to obey God. In other words, you can’t say you know God and still choose to disobey him. Knowledge and obedience go hand in hand. If you struggle with obedience, that means you do not know God as you should. After all, who would rebel against the most wise, loving, just, truthful and powerful One in the universe?

In John 14:23 Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching." Obedience is the outworking of love for God. You can’t say you love him and walk in rebellion against him. The more you love him, the more you will obey him. The more you obey him, the more you will love him.

APPLY
Ask God to reveal any area of disobedience in your life. Spend time waiting on him. If he reveals any area of disobedience, confess and repent (turn away) from the sin. Ask God to help you understand where your knowledge of God is deficient (i.e. why you were sinning). Commit to knowing him more and obeying him out of a greater love.

READ MORE
Matthew 7:21-23
1 John 1:5-2:6