We obey because we believe. Obedience is a natural outcome of faith:

• Paul, as a disciple, is doing what he was told as a disciple: teaching to obey.

Romans 1:5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.

Romans 16:25–27 ²⁵Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, ²⁶but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— ²⁷to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Romans 5:1–3           Romans 5:10–11          Romans 12:1–2

We obey because of who Jesus is (Lord) and what He has done as Lord (Saved us)

• He is a good Lord, a saving Lord.
• We offer ourselves to Him. This is worship. This is thankfulness.
• He has a purpose for us—His mission.
  • Remember Matthew 4:19: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
  • Also Matthew 28:19: “Go and make disciples of all nations”—spread the good news.

The cause for His people in the Kingdom of God – the Family of God

2 Corinthians 5:14–20 ¹⁴For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Why does scripture tell us over and over again? We forget:

Haggai 1:2–12 ²This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’ ” ³Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ⁴“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” ⁵Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. ⁶You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” ⁷This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. ⁸Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. ⁹“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. ¹¹I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” ¹²Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

Context:

• After Abraham, Moses, Babylon, Assyria, and now they are under the rule of Persia.
• King Cyrus had let God’s people go back to build the temple.
• He had supplied all the money, but The Lord’s house was left unbuilt.

They had built

• The Temple was a place to worship God, give Him credit, and to be reminded of eternal things.
• It was a testimony to the whole world. It showed love (or lack of love).

• Maybe fear of enemies? Not enough money, yet? Eighteen years later, maybe they didn’t know?

Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

• Dissatisfaction. Failure. Emptiness.

• God has given us His Word—His people.
• His promise is for our good.
• Will we course correct?

2 Corinthians 5:14-