What is Disobedience?
(All verses quoted from New King James Version)

The answer to this question might surprise many. Most people will say: “Disobedience is doing what God told you NOT to do”. This will include things like lying, stealing, envy, licentiousness, etc. Some will also say that disobedience is NOT doing what God commanded you to do, doing good works, like giving to the poor, loving your neighbour as yourself, tithing, etc. However all these things are old covenant laws. Yes even the commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart & love you neighbour as yourself” was a quote from an Old Testament law (Deut 6:5).

As born again believers we know that we have been redeemed from the curse that comes from disobedience to these laws (Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us). The law with its requirements that stood opposed to us has been cancelled so that we can be free to love God and live for Him without the fear of judgement. Col 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

If there now exists in us any fear of judgement, we have not been made perfect in love yet. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. The full wrath & judgement for sin was poured out on Jesus, & God took an oath in Isaiah 54 never to rebuke us or be angry with us ever again.

So if we can not break the law anymore (because there is no more law to break – Rom 4:15 for where there is no law there is no transgression), what is disobedience then? The following verses are a key:

1 Pet 2:7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient “ The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”8 and“ A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.” They (unbelievers) stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed (emphasis my own).

Verse 7 contrasts two different groups very distinctly: Those who believe, and those who are DISOBEDIENT. This tells us that those who don’t believe are disobedient. Verse 8 says they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word. What is the Word? The word is Jesus – John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 3 He was in the beginning with God. The word is a person, and anybody that doesn’t believe in Him stumbles over the stumbling stone, and is called “disobedient”. Verse 7 says that to those who believe, He is precious. This is because He becomes the author of their salvation, their saviour and their brother; they are adopted into His family.

There was only 1 sin that Jesus could not die for: Unbelief in Him. You can see our previous article on this subject by clicking here: http://www.newcovenantgrace.com/unforgivable-sin/

All other sins were forgiven at the cross 2000 years ago.

Eph 2: 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. This passage says that we were once dead towards God when we still had an old sinful nature, the same nature that still lives on in those who refuse to accept Jesus. They are called “the sons of disobedience”.

But once we accepted Jesus, all His obedience was credited to us as a free gift, making us 100% righteous and acceptable to God. Our salvation is now just as secure as Jesus Himself, because we are IN Christ. The only way we could ever lose it is if Jesus were to backslide, which of course could never happen.

Yours in Grace
Andre van der Merwe
www.NewCovenantGrace.com

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 12th, 2009 at 9:05 pm and is filed under Previous Messages. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.