The Freedom of Obedience

I recently visited a young man in jail. His surprised young face met me on the other side of the safety glass within the interview room; he being locked in one side, me in the other. There he was, dressed in white and black horizontal stripes, his back bearing the name of the correctional facility.

He looked just like all the other inmates. It was as if his identity was erased. He was property of the state, he was locked away. His dreams were locked up, his hopes were locked up, his potential was locked up, his freedom was locked up. At the ripe young age of 17 he was branded with a felony class conviction. He would soon be released and I could not help but think, “What will keep him from going back to that wretched place for a third time?”

A verse from Deuteronomy stirred in my spirit:

“When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.” …The Lord will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.” (Deut. 29:19-20 NIV, emphasis mine).

Could hearing the truth keep him out of prison? So many think so. Could knowing what was right keep him out of jail? So many think so. Could reading the Bible keep him free? What about hearing a sermon? Going to church? Living in a Christian home? I don’t think so. He knew what was right, yet he chose to do what was wrong. He “invoked a blessing” on himself, thinking he would somehow be safe, even though he disobeyed the commandments of a Holy God and persisted in going his own way.

How many people in this generation are satisfied with hearing a good word? Satisfied with going to a good church? How many are thinking they are under blessing by hearing the Word, even though they persist in not doing the Word? How many claim a faith that lacks obedience? They persist in disobedience. God is a gracious and loving God, Who seeks to restore all men to a trusting and obedient relationship with Him. However, without repentance, the Lord will never forgive these people and His wrath will burn against them. They will eventually be blotted out of His book. There is only one remedy for our current generation. It is obedience that comes from faith! (Rom. 1:5). Obeying the commandments of a Holy God would have kept this young man out of jail. Obedience would have secured his freedom.

You may not be in jail, but are there any areas of your life that are imprisoned and need to be set free? How often do you hear the truth, but fail to obey it? How often do you fail to put it into action? How much time do you spend learning about God versus obeying God? Strive to obey. Strive to walk as Jesus walked in this sinful and adulterous generation and watch how the Lord will provide the keys to set you free!

Obedience is a weapon.  Use it!