There is no need to take a theological class to know the standards of God regarding relationships. We all have a little voice that tells us what to do or avoid. Obedience to this voice is often worth it, but not always in the way we think.
The Holy Spirit inspires the small voice (or feeling that comes in our heart) when we seek to follow Christ in our relationships. He is the one whom Christ has promised to send to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). It is He who reminds us of the biblical teachings we have heard in the church or somewhere else (John 14:26) and helps us to put them into practice.
But being human, we often want to understand why we should do this or avoid doing that. “Why should I wait until marriage before I have sex?” “Why should I look for a partner who shares the same faith as me?” Although we can find different verses to support our doctrines, we must admit that God does not always give us the exact reason why we should follow His precepts. He asks us to obey, not to agree. Grab a concordance and do some research: God rarely answers the question “why?”.
To be able to obey God in what He requires, we must know Him well. Only when we know his love for us can we follow him without question. Like a good shepherd, He always leads us to good pastures (Psalms 23). We do not always receive what we desire at the moment we want it, but obedience always brings us peace and the feeling of having acted appropriately.
There is another blessing that we sometimes forget. Have you ever considered the obedience of Luke? He wrote one of the four Gospels in the Bible and also wrote the book of Acts. He did not have a divine vision forcing him to write these books. The Archangel Gabriel did not give him an order with Heavenly violins playing in the background. He probably had a simple feeling in his heart that he had to do it. An invisible thrust of the Holy Spirit and he decided to obey. Luke died shortly after and there is no indication that he received a triumphant blessing for obeying. But what would he say today if he saw that two thousand years later, Christians still read his words with passion? We inherit the blessing of his obedience today. Thank you Lord that he obeyed!
And what about the apostle Paul? He could also have decided not to obey and refuse to spread the good news throughout the non-Jewish world. Thank you Lord that he obeyed! The same goes for Pierrette and her obedience!
Pierrette? You probably don’t know her, but she is a lady who obeyed God when He put into her heart to visit my mother and introduce Jesus to her almost 32 years ago. I was there too, carefully listening when she used simple language to help me understand salvation, and I decided to give my life to God. Where would I be today if she had not obeyed. Maybe God would have used another person, later, in different circumstances. But by knowing Jesus from a young age, I have been guarded of many evils. Thank you Lord she obeyed!
When we disobey God, we do not always know what the consequences are. Sometimes there are no negative consequences for us; it is other people who suffer from it. They may not be able to receive the deliverance they expected or the reassuring smile that would have lightened their hearts. God asks you to witness (Matthew 28:19). God asks you to love your neighbor (Mark 12:31). God asks you to keep sexual relations for marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Obedience is a choice. You may never know if your obedience will have good consequences for someone else, somewhere else. Maybe we will speak of your obedience in 50, 100, 1000 years from now. Maybe one day somebody will say, “Thank you Lord that they obeyed!”