Foundations for the Bride: Obedience

In Revelation 19:7-8, we see the bride of Christ ready for His return. It is written. She is ready and clean because of the blood of the Lamb and her obedience. But Jesus urges us in Matthew 24:42 and Luke 12:35-36 to “be ready”. So, we have to bridge the gap between the current state of our hearts and the end result we see in Revelation 19.

God desires a testimony of obedience, faithfulness and discipline. All of this must be learned. Many Christians, even some ministering to others, lack the discipline to be in God’s word every day, to really consume it and spend time with Him, or to read the Bible cover to cover.

Obedience is not legalism, but it is the fruit of what God wants and requires faith in the blood of the Lamb. The book of Ephesians is a great explanation of the unending grace we have in Jesus Christ (chapters 1-3) and the command to obey Him and walk worthy (chapters 4-6).

We have to consider obedience, responsibility, faithfulness, and discipline. It took me a long time to learn these things. Even through college, as I was ministering to others, I often struggled to be disciplined in reading the word and time with Him. It took me longer than it should have to learn these things because I didn’t understand their value.

In some ways, I was delayed in learning some areas of responsibility because of ministry. As a young man, I went from college to a year-long ministry training program, living on the support of others, and then to the mission field in Honduras, living on the support of others. Living off the gospel is not wrong, but we have to ensure it’s a calling, not a pattern or formula for success, for young men who desire ministry.

The result for me was that I was 30 years old, coming off the mission field and had never really paid rent or bills. I had never had to work a job in order to provide for myself. I had a lot to learn. That was 13 years ago when I came back from Honduras.

I don’t discount that time in ministry, God called me to it and used it in a big way in my life and to minister to His body. But my zeal for ministry did not give way to maturity and obedience in the way it should have. If it had, God may have taken me on a more difficult road of preparation for His call and His promises. I share this testimony not to say anyone has to do things a certain way, but I think we must consider preparation. We must simply examine our own hearts.

We don’t like to take the time for preparation. Preparation doesn’t look successful. The discipline and faithfulness required in times of preparation and the wilderness do not appeal to the world nor to much of the church. But we look at Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Jesus, Paul, and so many more who had very difficult times of preparation and wilderness, prison, near death, or even death (for our Lord) before God’s promises were realized.

To the degree there is a gap between the current state of our hearts and what God wants, we must repent.