In 2025, will we obey God or go our own way? Will we follow the example of Joseph or that of Lot? God gives us the choice.
In my personal example where I hesitated to obey God, it sure sounds like I followed after Lot, doesn’t it? I did eventually obey, but my obedience wasn’t immediate. Was that a good thing? No.
There is no way to know what I might have missed out on by making that choice. I believe that God has said some very productive days of ministry lie ahead. But those days are predicated on my obedience to God.
How often do we desire God’s blessing, but won’t walk in obedience to Him? Genuine faith in Christ doesn’t work like that. God’s blessing in our lives is tied to our obedience, our submission—a word the world hates—to Him. Jesus did tell us that we demonstrate our love for Him by obeying His commandments. If we don’t obey, we are telling God that we don’t truly love Him.
As we’ve spoken of before, Scripture describes two ways of walking: we either walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, or we walk according to our sinful desires.
Romans 8:5–9 (NAU): “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
Aside from Christ, walking in the flesh is the only option. Believers in Christ have the choice. Sadly, sometimes we do walk according to our own desires, according to the flesh. But as we have the Holy Spirit living in us, walking according to the Spirit should be the norm. As believers in Christ, obedience to Him should be our overall way of life.
It is quite likely that the days ahead are going to be increasingly difficult. We all need to press on in Christ, to deepen our relationship with Him, to draw ever nearer to Him. It is time to cast aside anything that hinders us from that goal.
For 2025, will we, as Christians, obey Christ? Will we do so quickly, as Joseph did? Or will we continue to hesitate, to look for our own alternate solutions and ideas? We may soon be entering a time not unlike what Joseph faced; a time when hesitation could prove fateful. Better to prepare and learn our lessons now.
On a personal level, as the worship and teaching pastor at Faith & Reason, if that what I’m urging others to do, that process must start with me.
May we all walk in obedience to Christ.
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