Learning To Obey by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Though He Was a Son, He Learned Obedience

Hebrews 5:8-9: "Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him."

This is the curriculum the church has largely skipped. Many Christians hinge their entire walk with God on identity — "I know who I am, I know whose I am" — and stop there. But the text does not stop there. He was a Son, AND he learned obedience. Identity is the bedrock; character is the building.

Character is trained, not gifted. It is developed, not downloaded.

Why God Allows Testing

Atheists often ask: if God knew Adam would sin, why put him in a garden with a serpent? But there is a difference between what God knows and what God wills. God knew — it was not His will. And yet He allowed it because for man to become the man God destined him to be, there must be tests.

Just as a warrior's son cannot become a warrior without fighting, you cannot have dominion without something to dominate. Part of spiritual dominion is self-control. Psalm 91:13 — "You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra" — these were metaphors of spirit entities. God's original vision for man was to live in the garden unbothered by the serpent's presence. Man failed. Jesus, the last Adam, came and crushed the serpent's head — fulfilling the dominion humanity was always meant to exercise.

The Devil Is Not Phased by Identity

The devil's three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness were all prefaced with "If you are the Son of God." He was not denying the identity — he was using the identity as the basis for testing the character. Even if the devil knows your identity, he still wants to test your character. As long as you lack character, he believes he can still reach you.

That is why we have raised many Samsons and few Josephs — gifted people who are a flash in the pan. Samson broke every condition of his Nazirite consecration yet is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Gift without character will not last.

Self-Control — The Root of All Discipline

Proverbs 25:28: "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down and without walls." Every single sin is an expression of lack of self-control:

• Lack of self-control over resources → greed
• Lack of self-control over appetite → gluttony
• Lack of self-control over desires → lust
• Lack of self-control over speech → slander and insults

If you are struggling with one habit, understand this: it is a symptom of a greater problem. The same reason you cannot overcome pornography is the same reason — in a different expression — that when you know you ought to pray, you don't. You have trained your flesh to do what it likes.

Power Under Control — The Lesson of the Cross

Philippians 2:5-8: He "made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant." In the entire redemption of Christ, it was more character than charisma — right up until the resurrection. When He was arrested, character. When He was beaten and did not respond, character. When He was nailed to the cross, character. When He died, character. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

There are some things you can do that you will choose not to do, so that the bigger picture of God's plan for your life can be fulfilled. That is learning to obey.