What is Obedience?
Key Passage: Leviticus 19:2: Supporting Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Exodus 20:1-17; John 17:6-19; I John 2:3; II Corinthians 10:5-6
Obeying or willing to obey; complying with or submissive to authority:
What is Obedience? A willful submission to authority;
What does willful mean? The desire to perform an act;
What kind of attitude does God want from us in regards to
obedience? When we’re obeying God’s
Word, we do it out of desire to please God. Therefore our attitude is to be
positive!
I Biblical Obedience: Examples of Obedience: Read
Genesis
6:22-Noah
Genesis
12:4-Abraham
Exodus
36:1-Bezaleel
Number
9:23-Moses
Joshua
11:15-Joshua
2
Kings 18:6 Hezekiah
Luke
2:39-Joseph and Mary
Acts
26:19-Apostle Paul
Hebrews
5:8-Christ
II Christ’ Words concerning
Obedient:
A). The Base Rock of Character: Matthew
7:24
B). Essential
to membership in God’s family: Matthew 12:50
C). The
Key to Spiritual Knowledge: John 7:17
D). Sources
the Blessing of divine fellowship: John 14:23
"Why is
obedience important to God?"
Obedience to God proves our love for Him (1 John 5:2-3), demonstrates our
faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3-6),
glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12),
and opens avenues of blessing for us (John 13:17).
Faith is necessary to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and if our faith is
genuine and true, we will live a lifestyle characterized by righteousness,
modeling the example set for us by Jesus Christ. We obey His commands, not
because we have to, but because we want to, because we love Him. We are
enabled to obey because, once we believe in Christ and are saved, we are
remade. We are not the same people we once were. As Paul wrote in (2 Corinthians 5:17), “If anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
When we obey the Lord, we can live a life of
joy, without shame, rooted deeply in the Lord and confident in our eternal
hope. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our obedience is actually
part of our assurance that
we truly know God (1 John 2:3).
When God’s children obey their Heavenly Father,
He is glorified. Jesus told us that the plan is for others to “see your good
deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Of course, performing
“good deeds” requires obedience to the One who calls us to good deeds. A
Christian’s testimony of holiness is a strong witness that God is at work in
the world.
“Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in
obedience to him” (Psalm 128:1).
The Bible often tells us that God blesses and rewards obedience. James 1:22-25 says,
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
. . . Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be
blessed in what they do.” See also Psalm 119:1-2.
God is gracious. If we haven’t been living for
Him, if we haven’t been following His commandments, if we’ve been living in and
for the world, we can be transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can ask
God for forgiveness, and He will give it. And He will choose to forget the sin,
just as if we had never committed it in the first place. God is glorified when
He extends forgiveness, because it is written, “I will put my laws in their
hearts, and I will write them on their minds. . . . Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more” (Hebrews
10:16-17).
"What
does the Bible say about obedience?"
The Bible has much to say about obedience. In fact, obedience
is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself was “obedient unto
death, even death on a cross” (Philippians
2:8). For Christians, the act of taking up our cross and
following Christ (Matthew 16:24)
means obedience. The Bible says that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him
in all things: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). A Christian who is not
obeying Christ’s commands can rightly be asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).
Obedience is defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the
commands of one in authority.” Using this definition, we see the elements of biblical obedience. “Dutiful” means it is our
obligation to obey God, just as Jesus fulfilled His duty to the Father by dying
on the cross for our sin. “Submissive” indicates that we yield our wills to
God’s. “Commands” speaks of the Scriptures in which God has clearly delineated
His instructions. The “one in authority” is God Himself, whose authority is
total and unequivocal. For the Christian, obedience means complying with
everything God has commanded. It is our duty to do so.
Having said that, it is important to remember
that our obedience to God is not solely a matter of duty. We obey Him because
we love Him (John 14:23).
Also, we understand that the spirit of obedience is as important as the act of
obedience. We serve the Lord in humility, singleness of heart, and love.
Also, we must beware of using a veneer of obedience
to mask a sinful heart. Living the Christian life is not all about rules. The
Pharisees in Jesus’ time relentlessly pursued acts of obedience to the Law, but
they became self-righteous, believing they deserved heaven because of what they
had done. They considered themselves worthy before God, who owed them a reward;
however, the Bible tells us that, without Christ, even our best, most righteous
works are as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The Pharisees’ external obedience
still lacked something, and Jesus exposed their heart attitude. Their hypocrisy
in obeying the “letter of the law” while violating its spirit characterized
their lives, and Jesus rebuked them sharply: “Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear
beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones, and of all
uncleanness. Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you
are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27–28). The Pharisees were
obedient in some respects, but they “neglected the weightier matters of the
law” (Matthew 23:23).
Today, we are not called to obey the Law of
Moses. That has been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17). We are to obey the “law
of Christ,” which is a law of love (Galatians 6:2; John 13:34). Jesus stated the greatest
commands of all: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the
prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36–40).
If we love God, we will obey Him. We won’t be
perfect in our obedience, but our desire is to submit to the Lord and display
good works. When we love God and obey Him, we naturally have love for one
another. Obedience to God’s commands will make us light and salt in
a dark and tasteless world (Matthew
5:13–16).
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible has a lot to
say about obedience. In the story of the Ten Commandments, we see how important
the concept of obedience is to God. Deuteronomy 11:26–28 sums it up like this:
"Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed."
In the New Testament, we learn through the example of Jesus Christ that believers are called to a life of
obedience.
What is the
Biblical Definition of Obedience?
The general concept of obedience both in
the Old and New Testament relates to hearing or hearkening to a higher authority. One of the Greek
terms for obedience conveys the idea of positioning oneself under someone by
submitting to their authority and command. Another Greek word for obey in the
New Testament means "to trust."
According to Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary a
succinct definition of biblical obedience is "to hear God's Word and act
accordingly."
Eerdman's Bible Dictionary says, "True 'hearing,' or obedience,
involves the 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
desires." So, biblical obedience means, simply, to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and
obey his Word.
PART II
What is Obedience?
Key
Passage:
Leviticus 19:2: Supporting Scriptures: Deuteronomy
6:4-5; Exodus 20:1-17; John 17:6-19; I John 2:3; II Corinthians 10:5-6
Jesus Calls us to
Obedience:
In Jesus Christ we find the perfect model of obedience. As his disciples, we follow
Christ's example as well as his commands. Our motivation for obedience is love:
John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep
my commandments.”
Obedience is an Act
of Worship
While the Bible places strong emphasis on obedience, it's
important to remember that believers are not justified (made righteous) by our obedience. Salvation is a free gift of God, and we can do
nothing to merit it.
True Christian obedience flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord:
Romans 12:1
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your
bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy
sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship
him.”
God Rewards
Obedience:
Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses
and rewards obedience:
Genesis 22:18
"And through your descendants all the nations of the earth
will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me." (NLT)
Exodus 19:5
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own
special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs
to me.(NLT)
Luke 11:28
Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the
word of God and put it into practice." (NLT)
James 1:22–25
But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and
don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a 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 if you do what it says and don't forget
what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (NLT)
Obedience to God
Proves Our Love:
1 John 5:2–3
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love
God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.:
2 John 6
“And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is
the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should
walk in it.” (ESV)
Obedience to God
Demonstrates Our Faith
1 John 2:3–6
“And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.
If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the
truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him.
That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should
live their lives as Jesus did.” (NLT)
Obedience Is Better
Than Sacrifice:
1 Samuel 15:22–23
“But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your
burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen!
Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the
fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as
worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has
rejected you as king."(NLT)
Reflect on the
following two examples:
Naaman the Syrian
and His Leprosy:
Naaman's story in
the Old Testament suggests that obeying in little things
can be a stumbling block, even if someone is obedient in big things. Naaman was
a great man in Syria, but he was also a
leper. A servant to Naaman's wife told him of a prophet in Samaria that could
heal him of his leprosy. Naaman appealed to the king of Syria, who appealed to
the king of Israel, to have Naaman healed. When the prophet Elisha heard of it, he proposed that Naaman
should come to him and he would heal him. When Naaman and his entourage reached
Elisha's home. Elisha sent a servant out to Naaman with instructions to wash
seven times in the Jordan River.
Insulted that Elisha did not meet with Naaman, himself, Naaman went off in a
rage. However, his servants
reasoned with him: ... My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,
wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee,
Wash, and be clean? Naaman had gone to a great deal of trouble already. It is
likely that he had spent much of his life doing great things. He was not happy
about Elisha's cure being so simple. Luckily, his servants prevailed and Naaman
obeyed Elisha's instructions and was healed. He even went back to express his
gratitude to Elisha.
Moses and the
Brazen Serpent Solution to Snake Bite:
The story of the brazen
serpent that Moses constructed in order to heal people from poisonous snake bites also illustrates that little things
can be overlooked or dismissed too easily.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent,
and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is
bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a
pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld
the serpent of brass, he lived.
The Old Testament ends the story here. ... and after they were bitten he prepared a
way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to
look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were
many who perished.
Obedience to our Heavenly
Father and all His commandments is important for anyone that professes to
believe in Him.
Ask Yourself Why
You Obey:
Why do you obey the
Heavenly Father's commandments? Usually, it is one of these reasons:
You fear punishment.
You know you should.
You want a reward or blessing.
You want to demonstrate your faith in Father.
You want to demonstrate your love for Father.
Where do your answers fit? Obeying because you fear punishment is better than nothing, but is not the
best reason to obey. Knowing you should obey is proof you are convinced of the
principle, but it suggests you are not obeying for the right reasons.
Only the last two are good reasons to obey, because you
exercise your faith and love in
Father.
Jesus Christ told
us that the first and great
commandment is to love Heavenly Father. People that truly love Heavenly Father
and Jesus Christ obey all the commandments. We demonstrate our love through
obedience.
Ask Yourself Why
You Do Not Obey:
So, what keeps you from obeying Heavenly Father's
commandments? Your answer likely fits into one or more of the following. You do
not want to. It is too hard. It takes too much time and trouble. You are not
convinced you should. You did not know it is a commandment.
The first three answers condemn you as a hypocrite,
because you know what you should do, but you simply do not do it. The last two
suggest you are slothful. It is your responsibility to be convinced of the
commandment by practicing it. Knowledge comes after your
faith has been tried, not before. Not knowing something is a
commandment is simply a commentary on your negligence in learning the gospel,
unless you are a recent convert. If you are a convert, it is still your
responsibility to sleuth out all the commandments and attempt to live them as
soon as you find them.
Informed Obedience
is Different than Blind Obedience:
Father knows everything. In comparison, we know almost
nothing about anything. We can trust Him to guide us properly. He has promised
we will not stray, if we choose to follow Him. We exercise faith by accepting
and trusting in His superior knowledge. We will eventually discover the reasons
for all the commandments and be convinced of their truthfulness. However, it
will happen little bit by little bit. We simply do not know when, so again we
must trust in God’s superior knowledge and skills. Informed obedience will
foster confidence; because we know we are doing the rights things, we just do
not fully appreciate why yet. Obedience shows that we love and trust in God the
Father. Disobedience suggests otherwise. Following something other than an
omniscient being results in the blind leading the blind!
When We Are Told to
Obey There is a Way!
When our Father commands us to do something, He always
provides a way for us to do it.
... I will go and do the things which the Lord hath
commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of
men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing
which he commandeth them. If our Father has commanded us to do something, there
is a way to obey Him. He will help us find it. We have to actively search. It
may not be easy, but it will be possible. Adam and Eve were commanded to offer sacrifices to God the Creator. When an angel
asked Adam why he sacrificed, Adam responded by saying he did not know. He was
commanded to, so he did it. Adam's obedience to a commandment he did not
initially understand, but was faithful in keeping, resulted in blessings and
finally the reason for the commandment.
How Should Knowing
All of this Change My Life?
You should be able to articulate why you obey, or why you
do not. You should change, if you need to. You should understand why you should
obey, regardless of whether you know the reason for the commandment. You should
feel confident that the Heavenly Father will assist you in obeying
commandments.
Week # 1
Weekly
Obedient Question: Does the verse that Jesus “learned obedience”
sound strange to you? Why?
Weekly
Application Question: How is obedience to
God real freedom to you?
Obedience
Bible Quiz: True or False Week # 1
1. If we love the Lord we will obey His Word.
2. Christians are to obey the Word of God.
3. People were amazed that unclean spirits had to obey
Jesus.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for working within us and giving us an
obedient heart. We are grateful for the
way You took pain away and restored wholeness to our life. We have found love
within the community of faith. Thank You for helping us do what You want us to
do towards one another. In everything we do, we purpose to stay away from
complaining and arguing. We will live a clean life as a child of God in this
dark world. May our life shine out among the inhabitants of this world like a
beacon light as we hold out to them the same Word of life You used to heal our
broken hearts. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.
Memory
Verse: Matthew 26:39
Going
a little farther, He threw Himself down with His face to the ground and prayed,
“My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but
what you will.”
Weekly Reading Assignments: Week # 1 Romans
1-7
