11/05/2025
All In Or Not In At All - Ed Newton
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” - Matthew 12:30
We love to think that giving God most of our hearts is good enough. We surrender the areas we’re comfortable with and hold onto the rest. We obey in the public spaces, but in private, we do what we want. We like to say we trust Him, but then we still fight to keep control of the outcomes. The problem is that God never asked for partial obedience. He asked for everything.
There is no such thing as halfway faithful. When God gives instruction, He expects full follow-through. Partial obedience is still disobedience because it places our judgment above His. It says, “I’ll go this far, but no further,” as if we get to negotiate terms with the One who created us. We don’t get to edit God’s commands. We either obey or we don’t.
Saul learned this the hard way. God gave him a clear command, and Saul followed some of it. He thought he could keep a few things for himself and still be in the clear. But God rejected his partial obedience. Saul’s compromise cost him everything. It’s a warning we all need. God doesn’t just want our actions. He wants our hearts. He wants us to follow not out of pressure but from full surrender.
This doesn’t mean perfection. It means alignment. It means that when God speaks, we respond with yes, not hesitation. We stop trying to bargain and start trusting. And when we mess up, we own it and come back quickly, not try to excuse our way out.
If you want the fullness of God’s purpose in your life, give Him the fullness of your obedience. Let Him into every corner. Trust Him with every part. Don’t hold back what He died to redeem. God blesses full obedience not because He needs control, but because He wants to free you from everything that holds you back.
