Someone once told me that my lack of obedience when they felt I was supposed to obedience was proof that there would be no real change in my life. I would just revert to my old nature and that was my lot in life. It was rather disturbing. God is opening a new door for me and I thought today would be a really great day to renew not just my heart, understanding, but I pray your heart also.
From Genesis to Revelations, God has a lot to say about obedience. In the story of the 10 Commandments we we see just how important obedience to God’s moral and spiritual law is.
26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26-28
I think these scriptures sum up obedience the best! Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed. In the New Testament, through the example of Jesus Christ we are called to be obedient.
The concepts of obedience is in both the Old and New Testaments and relates to HEARING or HARKENING to a higher authority.
There are a couple Greek terms in the Bible to help us convey an idea of obedience. Once is positioning oneself by submitting to their authority and command. Another conveys the idea of trust. Strongs Concordance says that obedience is,
True hearing
To hear God’s Word and act accordingly
Physical Hearing that inspires the hearer, and a belief or trust that in turn motivates the hearer to act in accordance with the speaker’s desire.
Biblical obedience to God means to hear, trust, submit, and surrender to God and His Word.
Disobedience Leads to Sin and Death
The disobedience of Adam brought sin and death into the world. This is the basis of the term “original sin.”
19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19
22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22
Christ’s perfect obedience restores fellowship with God for everyone who believes in him.
18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Why Obedience is Important
Jesus calls us to obey
In Jesus we find the perfect example of obedience. We are His fellow disciples and we are to follow His example as well as His commands. Our motivation for obedience is love. Until you have a true wholesome relationship with Jesus, you will never understand the concept of love and never be able to fully obey God’s Commands.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. John 14:15
The motivation and response to obedience is because we love our Savior more than our own lives. There is no greater way to show Christ you love Him than to obey Him.
Obedience is an Act of Worship
We need to understand that we are not justified by obedience. Salvation is a free gift of God and we have no merit to earn it. True Christian obedience flows from the heart of gratitude for grace we have received.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
Romans 12:1True obedience is a response to truly understanding the gift of grace and the mercies of God.
God Rewards Obedience
Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards obedience:
18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed[a] by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.” Genesis 22:18
28 He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
Luke 11:28We can not just simply hear the Word. James tells us we must also be doers.
22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
Just listening is foolish. If you listen and do not obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and you do not forget what you have heard, then God blesses you.
Introspection is a must in the Christian discipleship journey. We have to apply what the Word of God says to the face in the mirror. We need to look in the dark deep corners of our hearts and obey God’s commands. We all want change, but we are unwilling to be obedient to the Word of God because that would mean we have to give up our secret sins. We have to give forgiveness to people we hate. We have to set the grudge we have towards God and others on the altar. We have to willingly choose His way and not our own.
Obedience to God Proves Our Love
The books of 1 and 2 John clearly explain that obedience to God demonstrates love for God. Loving God implies following his commands:
2 This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey[a] his commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden, 1 John 5:2-3
Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
6 This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love. 2 John 6
There is no other way to obedience except through loving our Heavenly Father and Jesus above all else in our lives.
Obedience to God Demonstrates Faith
When we obey God, we show our trust and faith in him:
3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked. 1 John 2:3-6
Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice
The law required the Israelite people to offer sacrifices to God, but those sacrifices and offerings were never intended to take the place of obedience.
22 Then Samuel said:
Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.
1 Samuel 15:22-23This has perplexed people for centuries. This is why Christ came. He broke the law and became the law because sacrifice is not better than obedience. You can disobey and sacrifice your life all day, but if you are not in obedience to the Word of God, it is vain. God is not a deal maker. You can not go to Him and tell Him I am going to marry this woman and sacrifice my life because it is the nobel thing to do and expect God to bless your sacrifice. Obedience is to love another as Christ loves the church. So many times our sacrifices are vain. We think we can fly under the radar with sacrificing ourselves to do what we think the Lord wants, but all He really wants is our love and obedience. IF God asks you sacrifice something it is because it is a hindrance to your relationship with Him. It is something that holds you back from being who He created you to be.
Through Obedience, We Experience the Blessings of Holy Living
Jesus was perfect. Only he could walk in sinless perfect obedience. WHen we allow the Holy SPirit to transform us from within, we grow in holiness, or as one preacher said, wholeness. This is the process we term sanctification. Another way to say it is spiritual growth. The more we read God’s Word, spend time with Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to change us from within, we grow in our love for Him and he returns to us a greater obedience and holiness.
1 How happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees
and seek him with all their heart.
3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
5 If only my ways were committed
to keeping your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed
when I think about all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
when I learn your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes;
never abandon me.
Psalm 119:1-8
7 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
It would be foolish to think obedience happens overnight. It is a lifelong learning that we can pursue by making it a daily goal. We grow close to the Lord, seek Him in all our ways, and let Him transform our heart and mind. As truth is revealed, we become obedient in response because we trust and love our Heavenly Father more than our old nature and flesh.
That person I spoke of above can teach all of us a lesson. Keep your eyes on your own journey and make sure that if you need to speak about the Word of God you are actually walking the talk. This person is in complete rebellion to the Word of God and likes to speak about God, but does not walk the talk. I am thankful that it pointed out their own fruit to me. When we speak, we reveal who we truly are. We should never judge a person’s obedience to God. We can lovingly and tenderly talk about obedience, but there was no love grace or mercy in the tone they spoke. It was a way to brow beat a person. All communication should be encouraging and uplifting to the body of Christ. Not to serve as judge and executioner over the lives of others. We should never shame another believer for we think they should or should not be doing.
It Starts Small 
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