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4OBEDIENCE TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD Logunov AA.Jr.1, Logunov M.A.2, Logunov K.A.3, Sinibabnov A.V.4, Kavinsky V.V.5, Volodchenkov M.I.6
1Logunov Alexander Alexandrovich Jr. — Independent Researcher;
2Logunov Mark Alexandrovich — Independent Researcher;
3Logunov Kirill Alexandrovich — Independent Researcher;
4Sinibabnov Andrey Vladimirovich — Translator;
5Kavinsky Veniamin Vitalievich — Independent Researcher;
6Volodchenkov Mikhail Ivanovich — Independent Researcher, VORONEZH
Abstract: the article examines in detail and proves the obligation of God's blessing to those who walk in obedience to the voice of God (the word of God). The proof is provided by examples of the activities of various characters in the Old and New Testament of the New Version of the King James Bible (Nelson's NKJV Study Bible, Second Edition—NKJV). This research was conducted by the biblical method—"proof by the Scriptures'' Keywords: holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments (Bible), history of the Church.
Special Abbreviations
f., ff. — following verse, following verses.
Quotes
All quotes in the text are given according to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament of the Canonical Synodal Bible in Russian translation.
Introduction
The purpose of the work is a detailed study of obedience to the voice of the Lord of various characters from the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the New Version of the King James Bible (Nelson's NKJV Study Bible, Second Edition—NKJV). The obedience of the characters of the Old Testament—Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Moses—shows their abundant blessings from the Lord. The obedience of the characters of the New Testament—our Lord Jesus Christ, Apostle Peter, Apostle Paul, Philip and other saints—also shows their abundant blessings from God. It is proven that in all cases it was God's will. The proof is based on convincing verses of the Bible—"showing from the Scriptures... " (Acts 18:28f) [5].
This work is thematically related to the research of the authors: " Nagrada za sluzhenie Gospodu " [2] and " Reward for serving the Lord " [3].
God has a reward for serving the Lord—salvation and eternal life. This has been examined in detail and proved in works [2-3].
For obedience to the voice of the Lord God has the same reward—salvation and eternal life. This has also been examined in detail and proved in the paper [6].
This study differs from the article [6] in that it examines another manuscript—a New Version of the King James Bible (Nelson's NKJV Study Bible, Second Edition; briefly—NKJV). Also, the article and bibliography have been edited for the English-speaking audience only.
1 OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
First of all let's define the word " Obedience ":
«Obedience (Lat. obedire, to "obey")—The ethical response that inclines one to do what is lawful or required by one in authority. It describes the faith response of Christians to the will of God.» [4, 191].
It follows from this definition that obedience is the most important and necessary element of the will of God.
Let's define " Blessing ":
« Blessing, a particular goodness received or given. Liturgically, it is an expression of God's graciousness and love. » [4, 32].
Consider examples of Old Testament characters' obedience.
1) Noah
On earth, in ancient times, there was a great corruption of people...
Therefore God has decided to destroy the first world by the flood. But among these people God has found
one righteous person—Noah:
«Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every gin tent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ... Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. » (Gen. 6:5ff-9).
One can walk before God only by faith in humility and obedience. Therefore, to save the life of Noah and his family from the flood, as well as animals and birds, God commanded Noah to build an ark.
«And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth...." Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.» (Gen. 6:13ff-22).
Noah completely fulfilled all the commands of God.
«Then the Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation..." So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.» (Gen. 7:1ff-23).
God saves the family of Noah and all the inhabitants of the ark after the flood:
«Then God spoke to Noah, saying, " Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons'" wives with you..." So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth...." » (Gen. 8:15ff-9:1).
The New Testament answers the question: what was the righteousness and purity of Noah? The answer: Only in faith and obedience to the voice of the Lord :
«By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. » (Heb. 11:7).
It follows from the definition of obedience that it is a "responce of faith of Christians in God's will" (see above). Therefore the main quality of the believer is obedience to the voice of the Lord.
Obedience to the voice of God Noah saved all his family from the flood.
2) Abraham
Consider the example of the obedience of the Patriarch Abraham (formerly Abram). When God commanded Abraham to come out of his land, he obeyed the Lord:
«Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, ...» (Gen. 12:1-4f).
Abraham was obedient to the Lord, because he believed him:
«Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.» (Gen. 15:5-6).
Abraham, when he was a hundred years old, gave birth to his only son, Isaac (Gen. 17:17). God tested his faith and obedience:
«1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, " Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." ... 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham,, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." ... 15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."» (Gen. 22:1ff-18).
The New Testament tells us that Abraham did it by faith:
«By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, " In Isaac your seed shall be called, " concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. » (Heb. 11:17-19).
Thus, we see that by faith and obedience to the voice of the Lord, Patriarch Abraham has given all nations the great blessing of God.
Historical facts about Abraham are also given by church historian Eusebius Pamphilus, bishop of Caesarea (263-339). In the book "Church History" Eusebius of Caesarea writes the following:
«That the Hebrew nation is not new, but is universally honored on account of its antiquity, is known to all. The books and writings of this people contain accounts of ancient men, rare indeed and few in number, but nevertheless distinguished for piety and righteousness and every other virtue. Of these, some excellent men lived before the flood, others of the sons and descendants of Noah lived after it, among them Abraham, whom the Hebrews celebrate as their own founder andforefather.» [1, 87 (I, IV, 5)].
3) Joseph
Consider the example of Joseph's faith and obedience.
To save all Israel, God chooses Joseph the son of Jacob. The brothers of Joseph envied him because he was especially beloved by his father (the son of old age). But after Joseph's prophetic dreams, which he told them and his father that they would all worship him, they hated him even more. And when Joseph came to visit them, tending sheep in the field, they sold Joseph to Egypt for bondage. But the Lord foresaw this situation because it was also God's plan. Joseph was faithful to the Lord and in slavery, so the Lord was with him:
«The Lord was with Joseph, ...» (Gen. 39:2f).
Joseph was imprisoned on false charges, but the Lord was with him for his faithfulness and obedience:
«But the Lord was with Joseph ... » (Gen. 39:21ff).
The Lord gave Joseph wisdom and ability to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh Egypt about the future of the seven-year-old famine on earth. And Pharaoh made Joseph the second man after him in Egypt:
«Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."» (Gen. 41:39-41).
There was famine in all the land, and Israel also needed bread. When the brothers of Joseph came to Egypt to buy bread, Joseph opened himself to them:
«And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me."So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt...."» (Gen. 45:4-8).
And the Lord, saving Israel, carried all the seed of Jacob into Egypt:
«Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob!" And he said, "Here I am." So He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes."» (Gen. 46:2-4).
The Lord also promised Israel that he would bring them home:
«Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers...."» (Gen. 48:21).
After the death of his father Jacob, Joseph reminded his brothers of the will of God and of their departure to their land:
«But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ... And Joseph said to his brethren, "I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."» (Gen. 50:20ff-24).
The New Testament speaks of faith and obedience of Joseph to the voice of the Lord:
«By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.» (Heb. 11:22).
So we see that by faith and obedience to the voice of the Lord Joseph has fulfilled the will of God. Therefore the Lord has kept a great number of people.
4) Moses
God chooses Moses to do His will—to bring the people of God out of Egypt. The Lord appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush:
«Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt:'» (Ex. 3:6-10).
And Moses hearkened to the voice of the Lord, and went to Pharaoh in Egypt. But Pharaoh was hardened, and would not let go:
«Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness." And Pharaoh said, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go."» (Ex. 5:1-2).
Then the Lord did great wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and Pharaoh let the people of Israel go. God struck all the firstborn in Egypt, except those who had the blood of the lamb on the doorways of the house:
«Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ... For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.» (Ex. 12:5-7, 12-13).
The people obeyed Moses, and did as the Lord commanded Moses. The children of Israel, according to the word of Moses, did the passover of the Lord:
«Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.» (Ex. 12:50-51).
The New Testament also writes about this Passover of the Lord:
«By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.» (Heb. 11:28).
So we see that Moses, by faith and by obedience to the voice of the Lord, did the will of God - brought the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Eusebius of Caesarea also writes about Moses:
«...This, too, the great Moses teaches, when, as the most ancient of all the prophets, he describes under the influence of the divine Spirit the creation and arrangement of the universe...» [1, 82 (I, II, 4)].
The Word of God—the Bible—underlines the importance of obedience:
«So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great 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. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry; ..." » (1 Sam. 15:22-23f).
2 OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1) Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ Himself has agreed to do the will of God:
«Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, "Behold,, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God."» (Heb. 10:5-7).
Christ has acquired the skill of obedience and calls us to it:
«though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.» (Heb. 5:8-9).
Jesus Christ was obedient to God (Father) even to the death of the cross:
«who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.» (Phil. 2:6-11).
This humility and obedience can be taught only by Jesus Christ:
«Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.» (Matt. 11:28-30).
A meek and humble person is a person who believes in Jesus Christ and is obedient to God. God wants everyone to be like this:
«For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.» (John 3:16).
The Lord shows the importance of obedience to the word of God:
«Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.» (Rev. 3:10).
Conclusion. The model of humility and obedience for all Christians of the world, now and in all times, is the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) The Apostle Peter
The Jews did not communicate with the Gentiles, but Apostle Peter was obedient to the voice of the Lord (the Holy Spirit), who sent him to the Gentile Cornelius:
«There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, " What is it, Lord?" So he said to him, " Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." ... "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive premission of sins." While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.» (Acts 10:1-6, 43-48).
So we see that through Apostle Peter's humility and obedience to the voice of the Lord the Gentiles were saved and baptized by the Holy Spirit.
3) The Apostle Paul
Saul (Paul) did not know Jesus Christ and persecuted the church of God. The Lord stopped him on his way to Damascus, and he was already obedient to the voice of the Lord:
«So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."» (Acts 9:6).
Such words could only be said by a man who was completely humble and obedient to the will of God. Paul was ready to die for the name of Jesus Christ:
«And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, ' So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' " Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."» (Acts 21:10-14).
Apostle Paul did not look at anything anymore, only to fulfill to him the will of God—to preach the Gospel of the grace of God:
«And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.» (Acts 20:22-24).
Apostle Paul lived and died already for the sake of Jesus Christ:
«For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. » (Phil. 1:21).
The Apostle Paul knew that God was preparing him a reward—the crown of truth, that is, the crown of eternal life. Not only to him, but also to all those who loved Jesus:
«For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. » (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
The life of the Apostle Paul was entirely devoted to Jesus Christ.
Historian Eusebius of Caesarea also writes about Apostle Paul:
«What do we need to say concerning Paul, who preached the Gospel of Christ "from Jerusalem to lllyricum," and afterwards suffered martyrdom in Rome...» [1, 132 (III, 1, 2)].
4) Philip
Philip was fully obedient to the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ:
«Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship. » (Acts 8:26-27).
Philip did not look for reasons to refuse: he knew the voice of the Holy Spirit.
«Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.» (Acts 8:29-31).
Philip Preached to the Eunuch the Ethiopian about Jesus:
«Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being
baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. » (Acts 8:35-40).
Many Christians wish that they, like Philip and other believers, would also use the Holy Spirit wonderfully. But for this we must be fully obedient to the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ—the Living Word of God (Rev. 19:13).
Disbelief is a sin that comes from disobedience. God commands men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), to believe in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. But man chooses his way—rebellion and disobedience.
So Adam once chose disobedience and brought sin and death to the people. But Jesus Christ, having chosen humility and obedience, has brought people righteousness and salvation—eternal life:
«Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— ... Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous...» (Rom. 5:12, 18-19ff).
So we see that for humility and obedience to the Lord God there is a reward - salvation and eternal life.
The importance of obedience to the voice of the Lord also lies in the fact that without him it is impossible to fulfill the will of God. We all came into this world for a reason. For each of us there is God's destiny (His purpose) on this earth:
«For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts ofpeace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. » (Jer. 29:11).
But to fulfill our destiny it is necessary to know God's intention, that is His will.
At first glance, there seems to be some kind of contradiction. After all, only God knows His intentions about us. How do we know that?
The answer here is very simple: God reveals His will (intentions, desires) to us, His children, by the Holy Spirit (through the Word of God).
This is how Apostle Paul writes about it:
«But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. " But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.» (1 Cor. 2: 9-13).
So, we see that everything that is secret and hidden, which the Lord has prepared for our glory with Him in eternity, is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
It follows that the will of God is detailed in His word, the Holy Scriptures—the Bible. That is why it is so important for us to love the word of God, to study it and to fulfill it in our life with precision.
3 CONCLUSION
In summing up the study, the following important conclusions can be drawn.
To fulfill the will of God, one must obey the voice of the Lord—the word of God.
1) All the righteous of the Old Testament, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and many others, were completely obedient to the voice of the Lord.
2) All the righteous of the New Testament, from the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ to all the saints who received Him and believed in His name, were also obedient to the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is true both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, because the humble and obedient voice of the Lord can be only the person believing in Jesus Christ. The man who hears the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the voice of the Holy Spirit in His Word, and follows Him in His way.
Therefore the Lord calls everyone to repent, to accept the faith of Jesus Christ and to do the will of God— the Word of God.
References
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Translated Into English with Prolegomena and Explanatory Notes. Under the Editorial Supervision of Philip
Schaff and Henry Wage. 2nd Series. Vol. I. Eusebius: Church History, Life of Constantine the Great, and
Oration in Praise of Constantine. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. 1904, 640 p.
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