A SERIES OF THOUGHTS | 11 | On Obedience
On the last article in this series, we touched on obedience a little bit and I was ready to move on from it as a subject matter. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that obedience might need its own different article.
‘Obedience to God’ can be polarizing to speak about sometimes. As a topic, it is one of the most popular principles of Christian living. Yet, in practicality, the rise of sectarianism and denominations within the church has made it one of the most divisive subjects.
What does it mean to truly obey God?
For some people, there is a tendency to view obedience to God the same way we see obedience to our earthly parents or guardians. It is possible for those who were raised by authoritarians who gave no room for dialogue to translate this pattern to their relationship with God. In the same vein, those who were raised with excessive freedom and laxity can also bring this attitude into their spiritual walk.
Irrespective of what your personal experiences might be, there are some things about our obedience to God that are constant in scripture. That is our focus for today.
Relationship & Trust
Contrary to some popular notions, God is not interested in raising or grooming robots. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to treat obedience like software that every Christian must install into their lives as soon as they come to Jesus. There is also the expectation that this software must function perfectly at all times. This is very far from the truth.
God indeed demands total obedience from mankind. This is His standard and He will not change that for anyone. The problem lies in the ‘How’.
God’s requirement for obedience cannot be separated from His desire to build a relationship with us. He sent His only son to die for our sins for the sake of this relationship and to bring us to a place where we can learn to trust him completely.
Building a relationship with God and learning to trust Him will lead you into a life of obedience. The old testament is full of stories about the children of Israel and the ways they disobeyed and failed God time and time again.
Total obedience was an impossibility for them because they did not really know God. They had a relationship with God that was dependent on who their leader or prophet was (Moses, Joshua, Samuel etc.).
Their lives are an example to us, showing us just how blessed we are to have Jesus Christ. His finished work on the cross and the Holy Spirit that He has given us helps us build a relationship with God and learn to trust Him completely.
Obedience to God is evidence that we know God and we trust Him.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. — John 10:27 (Berean Study Bible)
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” — Acts 5:32 (English Standard Version)
And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). — 1 John 2:3 (Amplified Bible)
Love
I could have addressed ‘love’ in the same bracket as ‘relationship and trust’ because, in a lot of ways, it is a continuation of what we have written so far. The reason why it deserves its subheading is that love has a defining quality that sets it apart — it is self-sacrificing.
God sacrificed his best for us by sending Jesus to die for our sins. Jesus himself willingly gave his life for our sins. The primary fruit that grows in our lives through relationship and trust is love.
The more we love God, the easier it becomes to obey God even when it feels like it is to our disadvantage. Reading through the Bible, it is filled with amazing stories of people who submitted their wills to God, sometimes even at the cost of their own lives.
These things did not happen coincidentally or by chance, they were born from a love for God that grew out of relationship and trust.
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. — John 14:15 (Berean Study Bible)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. — 1 John 5:3 (English Standard Version)
But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him. — 1 John 2:5 (Amplified Bible)
Blessings
Some might try to downplay or ignore the blessings and rewards that come from a life of obedience. I do not believe it is scriptural to do that.
There is a reason why the Bible tells us about the rewards for obedience and having a false sense of humility robs us of the encouragement that comes with knowing that God has blessings for his obedient children.
God recognises our obedience and reminds us through His word that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” — Luke 11:28 (New Living Translation)
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. — Isaiah 1:19 (Berean Study Bible)
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ — Jeremiah 7:23 (English Standard Version)
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. — Job 36:11 (King James Version)
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. — Matthew 19:29 (English Standard Version)
Obedience is not a subject that can be examined in isolation, yet, there is no denying that it is a requirement for Christian living. Thankfully, God has given us all that we need to be able to obey him completely. All we need to do is to take the journey with Him, step by step.
