The Price of Disobedience to God

In natural warfare, disobedience to a commanding officer can get you court-martialed. It could lead to your own death or the death of your comrades. When God entrusts to us front-line spiritual warfare, disobedience carries a heavier price, and the discipline of the Lord is more severe. We see this principle in the life of Moses. All he did to be excluded from entering the promised land was to do a miracle, but contrary to the way God had commanded. He struck the rock in anger, out of frustration with the people, instead of speaking to it as God had said. For this he never got to lead the people into the promised land. The dream of 40 years was spoiled for Moses in a few seconds of disobedience.

If you have not been promoted to the front lines in spiritual battle, thank God for it. True ministry means suffering. I am not on the front lines like I used to be. God has me in the background, doing this web site and seeking the Lord. I need healing in my soul.

We want the glory of God because of the wonder of it, but the glory of God also carries responsibility. Sin is treated with stronger judgements. Ananias and Sapphira were slain for something that is happening in most churches in one form or another today. But the judgments are not coming down in the same way because most churches aren’t even close to the manifestation of apostolic glory that existed then. Even so, we can expect that as God’s glory manifests more and more in the church, so the incidences of judgement will grow more severe.

God’s discipline is for out good, though it never seems pleasant, but rather painful. Yet God does not want us to be judged along with the world. To avoid this, He often prevents us from getting away with things that the world would often get away with. If we are without discipline, we are not legitimate children of God. So thank God if like me you have had to endure some costly discipline at times.

Its my experience that the Holy Spirit is easily grieved. I’m sure God was many times ready to do something awesome for people and then someone did something insensitive to the Spirit of God and a great blessing was missed. We need to cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The price of what we lose is to great to ignore this wisdom. Local area revivals have turned on this issue alone.

Ultimately, disobedience can open the door to a spirit of rebellion. Unless sin is quickly confessed and repented of, it can lead to a hardening of the heart. And that carries its own risks. “He who, being often reproved, hardens his heart, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1) “Beware lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”. We lose the relish of divine things when our hearts are hardened. I’d appreciate the prayers of others that God will soften my heart more and more so that I can be sensitive to his true voice and leading. When anyone turns after idols he or she loses the ability to truly know the voice of the Lord, and risks deception in all attempts to contact God.

The price of disobedience is too great. Its better to suffer the pain of obeying God in difficult moments than the far greater pain and regret that disobedience leads to.

Michael