All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God (revere and worship Him, knowing that He is) and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man (the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God ‘s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun) and the whole (duty) for every man.

Ecclesiastics 12:13

Putting it succinctly, the whole purpose of man’s creation is that he reverence and worship God by obeying Him. All godly character must be rooted in obedience - it is the foundation of all happiness. No one can ever be truly happy without being obedient to God. Anything in our lives that is out of order will be brought into adjustment by obedience. Obedience is the whole duty of man.

This is one awesome Scripture, and we are encouraged to continue studying it on our own.

OBEDIENCE AND DISOBEDIENCE: BOTH HAVE CONSEQUENCES

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 5:19

Our choice to obey or not to obey affects not only us, but multitudes of others. Imagine, if the Israelites had promptly obeyed God, how much greater their lives would have been. Many of them and their children died in the wilderness because they would not submit to God’s ways. Their children were affected by their decisions and so are ours.

Your decision to obey God affects other people, and when you decide to disobey God, that also affects others. You may disobey God and choose to stay in the wilderness, but please keep in mind that if you now have or ever have children, your decision will keep them in the wilderness with you. They may manage to get themselves out when they are grown, but be assured that they will pay a price for your disobedience.

Your life might have been in better shape now if someone in your past had obeyed God.

Obedience is a far-reaching thing: it closes the gates of hell and opens the windows of heaven.

A life of disobedience is the fruit of wrong thinking. Get it right now before it’s too late.