JESUS said:
Matthew 18:3
King James Version
3 And said,
Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted,
and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
What is perfect obedience?
Is it possible to achieve it?
What does it really mean?
In its simplest, childlike definition, perfect obedience is trusting GOD, because you know He knows better.
You believe in His Authority.
Because you trust Him, you follow Him.
You have given up your will, for His will.
This was shown by JESUS Himself.
As a SON to the FATHER:
Philippians 2:8
King James Version
8 And being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
JESUS showed what perfect obedience was.
Perfect humility.
With no thought of self.
Can we do that, too?
Like die for the LORD?
Follow Him with all our heart?
Without question?
That's the difference between cults, and CHRIST.
With cults, members follow blindly.
With JESUS, we know Who we follow.
He is the SON of GOD, Who has pre-eminence over everything.
And He warned us about following blindly.
Matthew 15:14
King James Version
14 Let them alone:
they be blind leaders of the blind.
And if the blind lead the blind,
both shall fall into the ditch.
He is the Way, so we won't fall into that ditch.
We -- His sheep -- know Him, and trust Him completely.
John 10:27-28
King James Version
27 My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand.
That's what perfect obedience is.
You follow JESUS, because He is LORD.
He wants you saved, and have eternal life with Him.
Why wouldn't you follow Him who offered His life for us?
The LAMB of GOD was trespass offering for us.
Through His cross, we have been saved from Satan, sin, and death.
He did say we need to be born again, so SPIRIT can remind us what JESUS taught us while He was on earth.
John 14:26
King James Version
26 But the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
The beauty of being born again is we become a NEW person in CHRIST.
2 Corinthians 5:17
King James Version
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
Gone are the old ways.
The old fascination.
The old habits.
It's a 180-degree turn.
We now gravitate to GOD's will, ways, and wisdom.
Our joy is now to please CHRIST.
We are done with the lies of the world.
SPIRIT and Scripture help us see through all that.
Why, then, would we want more of the same, when those only caused us to sin?
The true born again would never want to fall into sin anymore.
He has seen through all the hurts, errors, and troubles.
He has this rightful fear of GOD in his heart now.
He has SPIRIT and Scripture to guide him now.
Sure, Satan will always offer temptations.
But now, we are equipped with GOD's laws, JESUS' commands, and SPIRIT's guidance.
The Triune GOD has given us Scripture to learn from.
As true believer, you will never trust your own limited understanding anymore.
Proverbs 3:5-6
King James Version
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
GOD did say:
Isaiah 55:8-9
King James Version
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The true believer would not want to miss any of JESUS commands, or instruction.
It is our very life.
Our very breath, and oxygen.
We keep it to heart, whatever JESUS commanded.
We will not come up with excuses, or alibis.
We'd be shamefaced to do that now.
Sure, we know that we are flesh, and of sin.
But we also know JESUS commanded we be "perfect":
Matthew 5:48
King James Version
48 Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect.
We would only want to be right with the LORD -- all the time.
Only because we're aware we could slip at any moment.
We are aware the devil lies in wait, constantly.
Ephesians 6:12
King James Version
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities,
against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
1 Peter 5:8
King James Version
8 Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:
We know the path is not easy.
Matthew 7:13-14
King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Luke 9:23
King James Version
23 And he said to them all,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
That's why, every born again -- baby Christians or mature Christians -- need SPIRIT more than ever.
But as followers of JESUS, we are in AWE of Him, and only DELIGHT in following His soul-saving laws.
There is no one else for us, but JESUS now.
Psalm 119:97
King James Version
97 O how love I thy law!
it is my meditation all the day.
John 21:25
King James Version
25 And there are also many other things
which Jesus did, the which,
if they should be written every one,
I suppose that even the world itself
could not contain the books
that should be written.
Amen.
Romans 7:22
King James Version
22 For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man:
As children, our first "authorities" were our parents.
As adults, we now have JESUS.
The Only REAL Authority.
Matthew 7:29
King James Version
29 For he taught them
as one having authority,
and not as the scribes.
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