Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?

THESE WERE THE WORDS of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, over 3, 000 years ago, when he defied God's command to release the Israelites from slavery. But proud Pharaoh has to submit when he saw the awful results of the plague of death, and the Israelites were permitted to leave Egypt. Very soon, however, he changed his mind and led out his army to bring them back. His hasty pursuit ended in disaster, for God overwhelmed him and his host in the waters of the Red Sea. Kind Pharaoh paid dearly for his disobedience (Exodus 5:14 ).

"But what has this to do with me?"  you may ask. A great deal. Pharaoh is not the only one who has challenged the authority of God. Is this not your attitude: "Who is the Lord that I should I obey His voice? "It is a solemn fact that the Bible gives a full answer to this contemptuous question. The Bible reveals that the God defied by sinners is their Creator, Lawgiver and judge.

As your Creator God has an inalienable right over you, who owe him every breath you draw.

As Lawgiver He says to you, "Obey my voice" (Jeremiah 7:23 ). You are therefore bound to keep to His commandments. This you have failed to do. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 ). You are not excluded.

More serious still: you sin continually, for the Bible tells us that "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his hearts was not evil continually" (Genesis 6:5 ).

You were in fact born a sinner, because "by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men" (Romans 5:12 )

Further, God speaks to you as your Judge in the following solemn scripture: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27 ). If your sins are still unforgiven when the day of judgment comes, your Judge will pronounce the awful sentence, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41 ).

But God Himself if "a just God and a Saviour". He has provided a way of escape for sinners. He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for sinners. Christ, the Son of God, came into the world by taking to Himself a nature that was truly human, yet without sin, and atoned for the sins of a number that no man can number. In doing this He suffered the wrath of God which was due to them for their sins, when he died the cursed death of the cross. On the third day, He rose triumphant from the grave, thus showing that He had fully satisfied the demands of God's justice. He ascended to heaven, and is now a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

These truths about God are recorded in the Bible. God the Holy Spirit, who has given us the Bible, also persuades and enables sinners to believe the truths it contains. This involves receiving and resting upon Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Only those who do receive Him will, after death, go to be with Him and enjoy eternal and unspeakable happiness.

God, in the Law revealed in the Bible, addresses a series of commands to us. But the gospel, which is revealed in the Bible, also comes to us with a command: "This is my beloved Son". God says, "hear Him" (Luke 9:35 ).

Perhaps, like Pharaoh, you are determined to disobey the voice of God. You may think that the Christian religion is no better than other religions. "All religions,"  you say, "direct us to the same God". This is not so, however, for God's Word declares, "If any man preach any other gospel unto you... let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:9 ).

God, your Creator, Lawgiver and Judge, commands to you to flee "from the wrath to come"-to Jesus Christ the refuge. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 )

If you have been blessed by this tract, please share your testimony by writing to us:

Calvary Tract Ministry
Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church
201 Pandan Gardens Singapore 609337
Tel: (65) 6560 3885 | Fax: (65) 6566 3806
Email: calbp@pacific.net.sg
Website: http://calvarypandan.org