Eternal Reward: Jesus guarantees that no one can -snatch his sheep from his hand (John 10:28). However, he was very careful to qualify those who are his sheep. According to Jesus, his sheep are those who hear his voice and follow him. When we live our lives in this way, Jesus acknowledges us as his sheep. He gives us eternal life, we will never see the misery of hell, and no one will snatch us out of his hand (John 10:28).
Consequences of Disobedience: When we know the right thing to do and fail to do it, it is a sin (James 4:17). If we fail to embrace a lifestyle of practicing obedience to God, we fail to accomplish the purpose for which He saved us. God did not call (invite) and elect (choose) us to continue as sinners.
On the contrary, through Christ, he poured out his love onto us and called us to be his saints (holy, set apart) (Romans 1:7). God has called us to be morally blameless, set apart for himself through Christ to do the good works that He prepared for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).
Indulgence in disobedience does not bring God glory: God made us his chosen race, a royal priesthood, holy nation, and his own possession that we may display his character to the world (1 Peter 2:9). The world sees us as hypocrites when our behaviour is no different from theirs. God’s will is that our honourable way of living would silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 2:15). Our lives should exude the fragrance of Christ to believers and unbelievers as God uses us to accomplish his purpose (2 Corinthians 2:1 5-16).
Scripture warns us in Hebrews 10:26 that if we deliberately continue to sin after salvation: There is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins (Hebrews 10:26). We should expect to be judged by God because we have made ourselves His enemies by continuing in sin (Hebrews 10:27). Any Christian who deliberately continues in the lifestyle of sin tramples on the Son of God, treats the blood of Jesus as common and unholy, and insults God’s Spirit of grace.
Therefore, such a person will incur even worse punishment from God than people who broke the law under the law of Moses. The church at Sardis in Revelation 3 had a reputation of being alive, but to Jesus, they were dead (spiritually dead).
They had drifted from the Gospel they initially heard and believed. Jesus didn’t commend them or make light of their actions. Instead, he commanded them to KEEP his Word and repent, or the consequences would be dire.
Jesus promised those in Sardis who did not soil their garments with evil that they would be considered worthy to walk with Him in white. Their names will never be blotted out of the Book of Life, and Jesus will confess/announce their names before God and the angels (Revelation 3:4-5).
The eternal consequence for any professing Christian who does not seek to obey God daily is GRAVE. We have several warnings in Scripture that we cannot ignore. Jesus warns that only those who do the will of his Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).
Final Words: Living a lifestyle of radical obedience to Christ does not imply that any of us can achieve sinless perfection in our thoughts, words, and actions throughout our lives. However, Jesus requires of us to yield our hearts completely to him so that we are consistently pursuing obedience to him out of the overflow of the love that we have for him.
As we get to know him through his Word, he reveals himself to us and directs our lives to align with his will. If we sin, Jesus has provided his blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess to him (1 John 1:9). I encourage you to incline your hearts to the Word of God, seek his face in all that you do, and commit yourself to a lifetime of uninhibited obedience.
He is more than able to equip and empower you to do all that he has called you to do through the power of his Spirit who lives in you. I pray over us that we ‘would fulfil the call that God has placed on our lives. I pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen and empower us to be quick to obey everything God has placed on our hearts to do.
