An Obedient Heart
Text: Romans 6:15–17
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.
Memory Verse: James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
A soldier in active service does not obey only the orders he prefers; he follows every command given by his commander. Selective obedience can lead to failure in the mission. A heart after God’s heart does not obey God partially, it obeys Him completely.
One of the reasons God commended David was his willingness to carry out God’s will. Acts 13:22 declares, “…I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” This statement reveals the essence of David’s devotion: he desired to please God in every aspect of his life.
Obedience is the true evidence of a heart aligned with God. It is possible to worship, pray, or speak about faith, yet still resist God’s instructions. But a heart after God’s heart seeks to follow His will without reservation. True obedience is not partial or selective. It does not choose the commands that are convenient while ignoring the difficult ones. Instead, it trusts that God’s will is always wise, good, and purposeful.
An obedient heart listens carefully to God’s voice through His Word and responds with faith and action. It understands that obedience is an expression of love and trust toward God. As Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” When you cultivate an obedient heart, you position yourself to experience God’s guidance, favour, and fulfillment of purpose. Obedience aligns life with God’s plan and allows His blessings to flow.
Action Plans
Study God’s Word consistently to understand His will clearly.
Practice immediate obedience to God’s instructions without delay.
Evaluate your decisions regularly to ensure they align with God’s commands.
COVENANT GATE HYMNALS 29: SS&S 642:: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
Prayers
Father, give me a heart that delights in obeying Your will completely.
Lord, strengthen me to follow Your instructions even when they are difficult.
Father, raise men and women in my family and community whose hearts are fully committed to obeying Your will.
COVENANT GATE HYMNALS 29
When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word
What a glory he sheds on our way
While we do his good will, he abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obeyTrust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies
But his smile quickly drives it away
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh nor a tear
Can abide while we trust and obey
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share
But our toil he doth richly repay
Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown or a cross
But is blest if we trust and obey
But we never can prove the delights of his love
Until all on the altar we lay
For the favor he shows, and the joy he bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet
Or we will walk by his side in the way
What he says we will do, where he sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey
