Seeking Jesus First Jan. 16, 2024

What is the cost of obeying God and of obeying God’s word?

It is hard to say exactly, but the cost includes persecution. For some, it is persecution unto death.

“So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:5–14, NKJV)

Christ Jesus was perfected through obedient suffering. Before The Word was made flesh, He experienced nothing in the flesh. He experience no hardship or persecution. The Word just obeyed The Father because He was one with The Father. They shared minds, wills and emotions. But when The Word became flesh, He experienced the same things that we experience.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, NKJV)

This experience of His flesh wanting something different from what The Father wanted is what was necessary for Christ Jesus to be perfected. His obedience in the flesh brought Him suffering in the flesh and persecution even unto the gruesome suffering death of the cross. Jesus learned the cost of obedience

Then Jesus learnt the reward of obedience as The Father exalts Him and gave Him The Name which is above all names, and sat Him at His own right hand in glory, till all of His enemies would be made His footstool. The reward of obedience to God is greater than the cost of obedience.