The Supreme Requisite

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
 
One thing stands preeminently above all others in our relation with God, and that is obedience. He attaches the utmost importance to His will alone being done, whether in heaven or on earth (Matt. 6:1010Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)). Implicit obedience on the part of His creatures is demanded, and never will He allow His supreme will to be resisted with impunity (Rom. 9:1919Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? (Romans 9:19)). Pharaoh found this out to his complete destruction. Why have the Jews, the ancient chosen people, been so severely chastened? Simply, they persisted in refusing to obey the voice of the Lord. Of that nation we have His pathetic lament: "0 that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river" (Isa. 48:1818O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: (Isaiah 48:18)). To know and do the will of God is what He requires of us. We must therefore read His Word daily, meditatively, consecutively, prayerfully, and according to the four key words of Deuteronomy-hear, remember, keep, do.
So important is it to learn to obey, that God begins with the child, giving it the only commandment with promise, that it might be well with the child and its days lengthened. And the father is told to bring up his child "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:1-41Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1‑4)). If the child does not learn to obey the parents when it is young, how will it obey God in after life? Young believers are exhorted to submit themselves unto the elder, obeying them that are the guides of the assembly (1 Pet. 5:55Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5); Heb. 13:1717Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17)); yea, all of us are enjoined to be subject one to another; and this subjection is likewise to be rendered to those who are in authority, to the king and all rulers (1 Pet. 2:13-1713Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13‑17)).
The spirit of lawlessness is spreading everywhere-in the home, in the Church, in the world-preparing the way for the lawless one whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. 2:88And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8)). In contradistinction, let us seek grace that it may truthfully be said of both reader and writer, "Your obedience is come abroad unto all men" (Rom. 16:1919For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. (Romans 16:19)).