Romans 5:12-21 ( NKJV )

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 ( For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offence. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offence resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offences resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offence death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offence judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have come ( this morning ) as believers to obey the word of the Lord revealed and given as a command to us who believe and have accepted Jesus as our Saviour and submitted to Him as our Lord…

Why is complete obedience to what we believe to be the word of God a command that must be carried out in order to access God’s blessings? :

1: It is because the One in whose name we approached God obeyed His Father completely…

2: Also It’s because by our sinful nature  it is difficult or almost impossible to obey. We came with a rebellious nature that opposed God. We would  say NO to what is godly and soul nourishing and say YES to what is destructive to life and put a wedge between us and God. 

Adam disobeyed God and through him sin and death came into man. His gene which became corrupted was passed on  to the human race. 

But thanks be to God,  through the obedience of Jesus to the will of the Father we obtained victory over sin and death. Through  Jesus, our Salvation was fully paid for.

Romans 5:19 says “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

In 1 Samuel 15: 1 – 11 ( NKJV ) we see partial obedience played out when God sent King Saul to destroy completely the Amelekites.

“Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore,  heed the  voice of the of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek , and utterly destroy all that they have,  and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek,  and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites,  lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up  Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed my commandments.” And it grieved Samuel,  and he cried out to the Lord all night.

King Saul went out alright to the Amelekites but he did not obey the command from the Prophet of God completely… 

He spared Agag the king of the Amalekites and brought the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good and was unwilling to destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Now the response of God through Prophet Samuel was, to obey is better than sacrifice…

Prophet Samuel said to King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

“But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
 as much as in obeying the Lord?
 To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Obeying God’s word speaks of our  trust in Him and reliance on Him because we believe He is God.

Some people may say that:

If I see the written word of God as God Himself speaking to me, I will not doubt but believe and obey Him. 

But a generation saw the Lord perform amazing wonders for them and their leader Moses encountered God in a way no man ever did and even heard His voice and yet they chose not to obey Him.. 

Through His Son Jesus ( God in the flesh ) God fed another generation, healed their sick,  raised their dead,  but they did not obey Him. 

Beloved, know that it is not what you know it is what you do with what you know. 

May you believe and obey to enter His Rest from now on…

Amen.