Compliance is not Obedience there is a difference

The last season I have gone through this year was filing my income tax for the past year. We all do it to comply from the requirement of the government with our personal income for tax purposes. If you are a renter in an apartment or a house you are complied to pay rent. If you are a home owner you are to comply in paying your mortgage. Most often we have so much things to comply to we also do it in our faith. 

We think that if we pray a certain prayer at a certain time, reading the scriptures and going to Church on Sundays and  giving our tithes are enough for us to say we have faith and love for God. We comply and we think that is all there is to it, you submit your total income for the past year, pay your rent or mortgage that's it. If we do all those that was mentioned above and we go on doing the same lifestyle in cursing others, murdering others with our words by lying, cheating, mocking, taking advantage of others given a chance, etc. All of the things you have done for religious purposes are nothing but just compliance.

Imagine if a corrupt politicians, mafia leaders and members, thieves, drug dealers, killers, people who do sins in their own intelligent secret lives that no one knows ( except God ), etc. do comply for all the things they have to do to their church; read the bible, pray daily devotions, go to Church and give their tithes. Do you think God will be pleased with all of their offerings?

Matthew 16:8 "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me". The Lord Jesus clearly said it all with just one sentence, those words will pierce your heart if your heart is really on the Lord.

In John 4:23 -24, the Lord Jesus have said ....

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

If you are only complying, you will end up complaining because you will say to yourself and to God. I pray and I go to church but there's no healing, no blessings and no miracles, how come? If you are obedient you will be satisfied always because your life is your prayer and it is not all about you anymore it is all about the Lord. If there is no transformation that means you are still ignoring the presence of the Lord in your life.

In compliance you give yourself a pat on your back and say to yourself you did great today because you did your obligations. In obedience it is never enough, you will thirst for more for the Lord.

In compliance there is a chance of having a spirit of Pharisee we judge others, trying to remove the small speck on the eyes of our brothers and sisters and not seeing the logs in our own eyes. In Obedience you will encourage one another in getting closer to the Lord  in a loving and humble way in a non judgmental way.  Read Luke 18:10 the story of the prayer of a Pharisee and a tax collector and who were justified between the two of them.

In compliance there is arrogance and pride, in obedience humility and love. In compliance you need many audiences obedience however has an audience of one in 3 persons. In compliance there is no transformation, in obedience you will not rest without transformation. I have to admit sometimes I am also just a compliant.

Here are more scriptures you can refer to, I am sure you know more scriptures that supports what I am trying to tell you:

1Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams."

In Revelation chapter 3: The Lord's message to church Sardis and Laodecia 

Matthew 7:21-22 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from  me , you who practice lawlessness .'

John 14:24 

He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

Luke 6:46

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Once you have a personal relationship with the Lord you will realize compliance and obedience bear no resemblance to one another. The Lord have no requirement to accept you, come as you are and He will cleanse you. 

The Holy Spirit will not agree on your prayers if your private life and prayer life does not match to one another. I heard a Pastor said "The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart". He also said "Comfort zone is a place where God exist but He is not needed."

There's a difference between believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and actually following Him.
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PS. I would like to personally thank a friend of mine, Jun for telling me that he has been reading my thoughts in this site awhile back until my entries dwindled down. Hopefully I could begin to write more again.....and to all of you who reads my thoughts Thank you very much! :)