"Obey 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 13:7
Part 1
Obedience never comes easy. In fact, it cuts across the grain of our Genesis 3 natures. In our personal passion for independence, we humans will do whatever it takes to do our own thing, our own way, and we really don’t care what anyone else says. God says of us,
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on him [Jesus Christ] the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Each of us, on our own personal paths of rebellion from God, was His enemy. And yet He came after us to rescue us with His salvation.
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
He took us as disobedient children and redeemed us to Himself. We who were once disobedient, through the power of His Gospel He has changed! Now, we have the character trait of obedience! How should this affect our lives?
“Obey them that have the rule over you,”
God has appointed leaders over His children. Our church leaders should expect God’s children to listen to and heed what they say. To have authority, our leaders must match the qualifier given in verse 7.
“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation” (Hebrews 13:7).
These are men of the Word, and men of godly conduct. Their authority to lead comes from God’s Word. Their lives are patterned after God’s Word, their manner of life is one of obedience to the Word. Their message is for believers to follow God’s Word and yield to His authority. We ought to “follow the faith” of this kind of leader.
Why and how should we follow godly leaders? It isn’t easy to be obedient, but it is Christ-like! Come back tomorrow and let’s discuss this misunderstood topic some more.