"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.' " Mark 8:34
"and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Ephesians 5:27
Jesus is coming back and he hopes to find a glorious Church which is perfect in every way. One of the best ways to become glorious quickly is through prompt and extreme obedience. Obedience and selfishness are polar opposites, opposing forces. If we are to be glorious, we must be obedient. In order to be obedient, we must be willing to say no to self on a daily basis. And in exchange we need to learn to say, 'Yes, Lord, yes,' quickly and sincerely.
We need to learn to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He lives in us and is continually attempting to lead and guide us. He subtly lets us know when we are going in the right or the wrong direction.
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22
Obedience to the Lord requires developing sensitivity to His ways, which comes through His Word. We are not just to read the Word, but to do the Word. Make a decision today that you are going to come up into a new level of obedience. The rewards of an obedient lifestyle are well worth the price. Choose today who you will serve - flesh or the Spirit.
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