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(The Ten Commandments)

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by Thomas Watson

1. INTRODUCTION

OBEDIENCE

"O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. So obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and laws that I am giving you today." Deuteronomy 27:9-10

What is the DUTY which God requires of man?

Obedience to his revealed will.

It is not enough to hear God's voice—but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honor we owe to God. "If then I be a Father, where is my honor?" Mal 1:6. Obedience carries in it, the life-blood of religion. "Obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and laws that I am giving you today." Obedience without knowledge is blind, and knowledge without obedience is lame. Rachel was fair to look upon—but, being barren, said, "Give me children, or I die!" Just so, if knowledge does not bring forth the child of obedience, it will die. "To obey is better than sacrifice." 1 Sam 15:22. Saul thought it was enough for him to offer sacrifices, though he disobeyed God's command; but "to obey is better than sacrifice." God disclaims sacrifice, if obedience is lacking. "I spoke not unto your fathers concerning burnt offerings—but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice." Jer 7:22. Not but that God did enjoin those religious rites of worship; but the meaning is that he looked chiefly for obedience—without which, sacrifice was but devout folly! The end why God has given us his laws—is obedience. "You must obey all my regulations and be careful to keep my laws, for I, the Lord, am your God." Lev 18:4. Why does a king publish an edict—but that it may be observed?

What is the RULE of obedience?

The written Word of God. That is proper obedience—which the Word requires. Our obedience must correspond with the Word, as the copy with the original. To seem to be zealous, if it be not according to the Word, is not obedience—but will-worship. Popish traditions which have no footing in the Word, are abominable; and God will say, "Who has required this at your hand?" Isa 1:12. The apostle condemns the worshiping of angels, which had a show of humility. Col 2:18. The Jews might say they were loath to be so bold as to go to God in their own persons; they would be more humble, and prostrate themselves before the angels, and desire them to present their petitions to God; but this show of humility was hateful to God, because there was no Scripture to warrant it.

What are the INGREDIENTS in our obedience, which make it acceptable to God?

(1) It must be FREE and CHEERFUL, or it is penance, not sacrifice. "If you are willing and obedient." Isa 1:19. Though we serve God with weakness, it must be withwillingness. You love to see your servants go cheerfully about their work. Under the law, God will have a free-will offering. Deut 16:10. Hypocrites obey God grudgingly, and against their will; they do good but not willingly. Cain brought his sacrifice—but not his heart. It is a true rule—what the heart does not do, is not done. Willingness is the soul of obedience. God sometimes accepts of willingness without the work—but never of the work without willingness. Cheerfulness shows that there is love in the duty. And love is to our services, what the sun is to fruit—it mellows and ripens them, and makes them come off with a better relish.

(2) Obedience must be DEVOUT and FERVENT. "Fervent in spirit," etc. Rom 12:11. As water that boils over; so the heart must boil over with hot affections in the service of God. The glorious angels, who, for burning in fervour and devotion, are called seraphim, are chosen by God to serve him in heaven. The snail under the law was unclean, because it is a dull, slothful creature. Obedience without fervency, is like a sacrifice without fire. Why should not our obedience be lively and fervent? God deserves the flower and strength of our affections. Domitian would not have his statue carved in wood or iron—but made of gold. Lively affections make golden services. It is fervency that makes obedience acceptable. Elijah was fervent in spirit, and his prayer opened and shut heaven; and again he prayed, and fire fell on his enemies. 2 Kings 1:10. Elijah's prayer fetched fire from heaven, because, being fervent, it carried fire up to heaven.

(3) Obedience must be EXTENSIVE, it must reach to all God's commands. "Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all your commandments." Psalm 119:6. All God's requirements demand equal effort. There is a stamp of divine authority upon all God's commands,. If I obey one precept because God commands, I must obey all. True obedience runs through all duties of religion, as the blood through all the veins, or the sun through all the signs of the zodiac. A good Christian makes gospel piety and moral equity kiss each other. Herein some discover their hypocrisy: they will obey God in some things which are more easy—and may raise their reputation. But other things they leave undone. "One thing you lack!" Mark 10:21. Herod would hear John Baptist—but not leave his incest. Some will pray—but not give alms; others will give alms—but not pray. "You pay tithe of mint and anise—and have omitted the weightier matters of the law—judgement, mercy and faith." Matt 23:23. The badger has one foot shorter than the other; so these hypocrites are shorter in some duties than in others. God likes not such partial servants, who will do some part of the work he sets them about, and leave the other undone.

(4) Obedience must be SINCERE. We must aim at the glory of God in it. In religion—the end is all. The end of our obedience must not be to stop the mouth of conscience, or to gain applause or preferment; but that we may grow more like God, and bring more glory to him. "Do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor 10:31. That which has spoiled many glorious actions, and made them lose their reward, is, that men's aims have been wrong. The Pharisees gave alms—but blew a trumpet that they might have the glory of men. Matt 6:2. Alms should shine—but not blaze. Jehu did well in destroying the Baal-worshipers, and God commended him for it; but, because his aims were not good (for he aimed at settling himself in the kingdom), God looked upon it as no better than murder. "I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu." Hos 1:4. O let us look to our ends in obedience; it is possible the action may be right, and not the heart. 2 Chron 25:2. Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord—but not with a perfect heart. Two things are chiefly to be eyed in obedience, the principle and the end. Though a child of God shoots short in his obedience, he takes a right aim!

(5) Obedience must be in and through CHRIST. "He has made us accepted in the beloved." Eph 1:6. Not our obedience—but Christ's merits, which procure acceptance with God. In every part of worship we must present Christ to God in the arms of our faith. Unless we serve God thus, in hope and confidence of Christ's merits, we rather provoke him than please him. As, when king Uzziah would offer incense without a priest, God was angry with him, and struck him with leprosy (2 Chron 26:20). Just so, when we do not come to God in and through Christ, we offer up incense to him without a priest, and what can we expect but severe rebukes?

(6) Obedience must be CONSTANT. "Blessed is he who does righteousness at all times." Psalm 106:3. True obedience is not like a high flush of the face, when in a fit—but it is a steady complexion. It is like the fire on the altar, which was always kept burning. Lev 6:13. Hypocrites' obedience is but for a season; it is like plastering work, which is soon washed off; but true obedience is constant. Though we meet with affliction, we must go on in our obedience. "The righteous shall hold on his way." Job 17:9. We have vowed constancy; we have vowed to renounce the pomp's and vanities of the world, and to fight under Christ's banner to death. When a servant has entered into covenant with his master, and the indentures are sealed, he cannot go back, he must serve out his time; so there are indentures drawn in baptism, and in the Lord's Supper the indentures are renewed and scaled on our part, that we will be faithful and constant in our obedience; therefore we must imitate Christ, who became obedient unto death. Phil 2:8. The crown is set upon the head of perseverance. "He who keeps my works unto the end, I will give him the morning star." Rev 2:26, 28.

Use 1. This condemns those who live in contradiction to the text, and have cast off the yoke of obedience. "As for the Word that you have spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto you." Jer 44:16. God bids men pray in their family—but they live in the total neglect of it; he bids them sanctify the Sabbath—but they follow their pleasures on that day; he bids them abstain from the appearance of sin—but they do not abstain from the act of sin; they live in the act of revenge, and in the act of uncleanness. This is a high contempt of God; it is rebellion, and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.

Why is it, that men do not obey God? They know their duty—but do it not.

(1) The not obeying God is for lack of faith. "Who has believed our report?" Isa 53:1: Did men believe—that sin were so bitter, and that hell followed at the heels of it—would they go on in sin? Did they believe there was such a reward for the righteous, and that godliness was great gain—would they not pursue it? But they are atheists, not fully brought into the belief of these things; hence it is that they obey not. Satan's masterpiece, his dragnet by which he drags millions to hell, is to keep them in unbelief! He knows, if he can but keep them from believing the truth, he is sure to keep them from obeying it.

(2) The not obeying God, is for lack of self-denial. God commands one thing, and men's lusts command another; and they will rather die, than deny their lusts. If lust cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed.

Use 2. Obey God's voice. This is the beauty of a Christian.

What are the great arguments or incentives to obedience?

(1) Obedience makes us precious to God, his favourites. "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure!" You shall be my portion, my jewels, the apple of my eye. Exo 19:5. "You are honoured, and I love you." Isa 43:4.

(2) There is nothing lost by obedience. To obey God's will is the wav to have our will.

[1] Would we have a blessing in our estates? Let us obey God. "If you shall hearken to the voice of the Lord, to do all his commandments, blessed shall you be in the field: blessed shall be your basket and your store." Deut 28:1, 3, 5. To obey is the best way to thrive in your estates.

[2] Would we have a blessing in our souls? Let us obey God. "Obey, and I will be your God." Jer 7:23. My Spirit shall be your guide, sanctifier, and comforter. Christ "became the author of eternal salvation unto all those who obey him." Heb 5:9. While we please God with our obedience, we also please ourselves. While we give him the duty—he gives us the dowry. You lose nothing by obeying God. The obedient son has the inheritance settled on him. Obey, and you shall have a kingdom. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32.

(3) Disobedience is a great sin!

[1] Disobedience is an IRRATIONAL sin. We are not able to stand it out, in defiance against God. "Are we stronger than he?" Will the sinner go to measure arms with God? 1 Cor 10:22. He is God Almighty, who can command legions of angels. If we have no strength to resist him—it is irrational to disobey him.

It is irrational, as it is against all law and equity. We have our daily subsistence from him; in him we live and move. Is it not just that as we live by him, we should live to him? that as he gives us our allowance, so we should give him our allegiance?

[2] Disobedience is a DESTRUCTIVE sin. "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who obey not the gospel." 2 Thess 1:7, 8. He who refuses to obey God's will in commanding, shall be sure to obey his will in punishing! While the sinner thinks to slip the knot of obedience, he twists the cord of his own damnation, and he perishes without excuse. "The servant which knew his lord's will, neither did according to his will—shall be beaten with many stripes!" Luke 12:47. God will say, "Why did you not obey? you knew how to do good—but did not; therefore your blood is upon your own head."

Use 3. What MEANS shall we use that we may obey?

(1) Serious consideration. Consider, that God's commands are not grievous: he commands nothing unreasonable. 1 John 5:3. It is easier to obey the commands of God, than the commands of sin. The commands of sin are burdensome—let a man be under the power of any lust, how he tires himself! what hazards he runs, even to endangering his health and soul, that he may satisfy his lusts! "They weary themselves to commit iniquity;" and are not God's commands more easy to obey? Chrysostom says, "Virtue is easier than vice; temperance is less burdensome than drunkenness." Some have gone with less pains to heaven—than others to hell!

God commands nothing but what is beneficial. "And now, Israel, what does the Lord require of you—but to fear the Lord your God, and to keep his statutes, which I command you this day, for your good." Deut 10:12, 13. To obey God, is not so much our duty—as our privilege; his commands carry food in the mouth of them. He bids us repent—and why? That our sins may be blotted out. Acts 3:19. He commands us to believe—and why? That we may be saved. Acts 16:31. There is love in every command. It is as if a king should bid one of his subjects dig in a gold mine, and then keep the gold for himself.

(2) Earnest supplication. Implore the help of the Spirit to carry you on in obedience. God's Spirit makes obedience easy and delightful. If the loadstone draws the iron—it is not hard for it to move; so if God's Spirit quickens and draws the heart—it is not hard to obey. When a gale of the Spirit blows, we go full sail in obedience. Turn his promise into a prayer. "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." Eze 36:27. The promise encourages us, the Spirit enables us to obey.


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