Christ As Healer- Obedience

Christ As Healer

Obedience 

Mark 1:40-45

Opening Prayer: Lord God, grant me grace to obey Your every command.  Fill me with a deep love, gratitude, and thanksgiving for Who You are and all that You have done or will do in my life.  May I seek You with all my heart, trust You at all times, obey Your will for me, and follow Your call upon my life.  In Christ’s holy Name I pray.  Amen. 

OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE 

Willful obedience is pleasing to the Lord, but willful disobedience is not.  Throughout the Bible, the people of God have chosen both paths.  When they have chosen obedience, He has blessed them.  However, in their disobedience, they suffered the consequences of their actions. 

In obedience the leper came to Jesus for healing, but in disobedience that same leper contradicted Jesus’ strong warning to keep silent about his healing.  Rather than the leper suffering the consequences of his own disobedience, it was Jesus Who suffered because of it.  The suffering of others was seen as well when Jesus could no longer enter the town but had to stay in lonely places.  How graciously God redeemed the impact of the leper’s disobedience for others who would seek the healing of Christ. 

Just as Christ took the suffering for the leper when he sinned, so He took the power of sin over mankind when He died in their place on the cross.  Those who have received Christ as their personal Savior are no longer required to pay the price of eternal separation from God for their sins when they die, because Christ has already paid that price for them.  They are welcomed into His eternity through the shed blood of His sinless Son.  Because of Christ’s obedience to His Father to go to the cross on our behalf, the way was paved for this divine transaction.  What a loving heavenly Father!  

God specifically lists the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience in His Word.  Examine these in the following scriptures and discover their impact on your own life.  Take these things to the Lord in prayer after you complete the readings.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Leviticus 26:1-13

Leviticus 26:14-46

YOUR PERSONAL OBEDIENCE 

As children of God, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, our answer to Him when He calls us should always be “YES!”, for He owns us completely through the sacrifice of His only Son.   He has paid for us in full.  We are HIS.  No one can snatch us out of His hand.  

What is He leading you to do now?  Have you said “yes” yet?  Write your prayer of commitment to Him to do all that He has called you to do, in spite of any potential problems you may see.  Remember, nothing will be impossible for God. 

Describe a time in your own life when you and/or others have suffered because of your disobedience to the Lord.  What lessons did you learn from your experience?  How did it change your attitude toward obedience to the Lord?  How will you counsel others because of your disobedience? 

Consider these scriptures concerning obedience and disobedience:

Leviticus 11:44

John 14:23 

Deuteronomy 34:7 

Acts 5:29

THE WOUNDS OF JESUS AND THE DISOBEDIENCE OF OTHERS 

Christ suffered at the hands of others. Although He was sinless, He was impacted by the sinfulness of others throughout His time on earth.  When we sin, we not only negatively impact our own lives but also the lives of others.  More importantly, we become distanced from the Lord because of our sin.  We become more distracted, less focused, less sensitive to His Spirit, and less likely to obey His commands.  Until we turn from our sin and seek the forgiveness that has already been given to us through His death on the cross, we suffer in our fellowship, relationship, and intimacy with Him.  He longs to restore us and gladly grants the forgiveness we seek for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and, in the process, purify us from all unrighteousness.  

What do you need to take to the Lord for His forgiveness?  Take it to Him now, receive His forgiveness, walk in the light of His forgiveness, and be restored to Him fully.  

Consider these wounds that were inflicted upon Jesus because of the disobedience of those around Him: 

Matthew 18:15-18, 25-27

Matthew 26:44 

Mark 10:35-45

Matthew 9:10-12

John 6:60-66

Matthew 12:2, 12

Matthew 26:36-46

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?

Luke 1:37

Lamentations 3:22-23

Exodus 34:7 

I John 1:9

Ephesians 5:14

Romans 8:32 

James 1:5

Matthew 7:11

Isaiah 53:5

Closing Prayer: Father, it is my desire to obey You in all things.  I praise You for Your grace that makes this possible.  Guide me and direct me according to Your sovereign will and receive my praise for Your glorious healing in my life through obedience.  I love You, Lord, and  I pray all these things in Christ’s holy and perfect Name.  Amen.