Disobedience is a major barrier because it creates distance in our relationship with God. It’s not that God has turned away from us, but rather that we have turned away from Him through our rebellion. You can’t have a closer relationship with God if you don’t respect His boundaries.
Jesus proclaimed,
“The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.” – John 14:21
Our obedience demonstrates our love for Jesus. As we respect God’s rules, He permits us to see more of Him and, as we do, our relationship can become more intimate.
David observed,
“How blessed is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, whose sin is pardoned. How blessed is the one whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away, while I groaned in pain all day long. For day and night you tormented me; you tried to destroy me in the intense heat of summer. (Selah) Then I confessed my sin; I no longer covered up my wrongdoing. I said, ‘I will confess my rebellious acts to the Lord.’ And then you forgave my sins. (Selah)” – Psalm 32:1-5
Are you refusing to abandon a sin because it is more valuable to you than having uninhibited fellowship with God? Whatever temporal pleasure or satisfaction is gained through disobedience is not worth the loss of joy and peace that can only come from having a right relationship with your Heavenly Father.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” – Matthew 5:8