Scripture: Proverbs 1 v 7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Galatians 6 v 7 - 8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
The fear (respect for) the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. You should respect His instructions and comply with them, for those who shun them are called fools. If sinners entice you do not agree with them. If they put you under peer pressure to do evil you should stay away from them. It is more beneficial to please Jesus than to fall into trouble pleasing people.
If you know that what you are doing is hurting those who love and pray for you, seek help. Ask Jesus to show you how to resist these temptations. Separate yourself from those who call themselves friends but who oppose the righteous ways of Jesus. They mock our gracious Lord and use His mighty name as a curse word. They reject His salvation and want to impose their loose living upon you.
The Lord is not mocked. He knows who are His. If you are born again and still running with the crowd of sinners beware lest they drag you back into the world and you lose the blessings you have gained. It happens so subtly that you don't notice the effect of ungodly people on the way you think and behave.
You are walking with Jesus and therefore you must always show Him your best side. This takes discipline and self-control, and an awareness of His presence. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by throwing caution to the wind and returning to the bad habits that lead to sorrow of heart. They may seem fun at the time but you will have to give an account to Him, which will distress you deeply. Think of Peter denying Jesus three times and how ashamed he was to face Him, and think twice before you leap.
It is a privilege and honour to be part of the Lord's family. Don't be like Esau who threw away his birthright for a plate of stew. Rather let your obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ be an ornament of grace upon your head.
There are many examples of disobedience in the Bible, and its consequences. If you really want to see the long list of curses that come upon those who fail to obey Him, read Deuteronomy 28 v 15 - 68. 53 verses of serious situations that will come upon those who defy the Lord God Almighty. Things like losing your wife to another man, or incurable sicknesses of long duration.
When God allows a curse to affect His beloved children, who will break that curse? Only our complete repentance, where we must bring forth the fruits of that repentance, will change the Lord's mind. The fruits of repentance are seen when we visibly change our minds about being disobedient.
If you say that only applies to the Old Testament then you should read Matthew 18 v 3 - 6: "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
This judgment is for anyone who hurts a true Christian from the time of the crucifixion to the present day. So all mocking, political damage, persecution, killing, emotional blackmail and theft will bring serious pain on the perpetrators. Anything that offends a Christian in fact brings a very bad response from God the Father. Whether its from a Christian or an unbeliever the Lord will have the same opinion. Change Your mind quickly about unleashing your angry opinions upon other Christians, or Jews.
Matthew 18 v 32 - 36: "Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
To Christians the above words of Jesus say that because His Father forgave us, we must forgive those who have sinned against us. Failure to comply results is us being handed over to the tormentors, demons, until we learn to behave properly.
Tormentors like pain, fear, sickness, relationships under pressure, financial problems, no answers to prayer, loss, and other woes. This is a disciplinary procedure to bring us to our knees to see our errors and correct them.
Yes, Jesus took all our sins upon us and by His grace we are forgiven, and expected to live holy, sin free lives. If you continue in sin you become like Esau who exchanged his privileged life for a meal. We must appreciate our salvation and our Saviour with all our hearts, and thereby reap the rewards of obedience.
We definitely reap what we sow and need to pray for crop failure to ensure that every incidence of disobedience is put under the Blood of Jesus. If we have sown only good things like love, peace, joy, goodness, indictment, forgiveness, obedience then our garden will be full of beauty and fragrance.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we have to learn obedience as it does not come naturally to us. Please help us to be willing to learn so that You will be pleased with us. Forgive us if we have strayed from Your righteousness and set our feet back on Your path. In Jesus' name. Amen.