OBEDIENCE AS IT RELATES TO FAITH
The Born-Again experience and the Spirit-Filled experience divinely work together and become the doorway through which the sincere Christian travels. Those experiences are only the beginning of the exciting adventure. God’s plan of restoration and reconciliation includes an entire and exciting lifetime of spiritual growth and maturation.
The one paramount condition for spiritual growth and maturation in the life of the Christian is a phenomenon known as obedience. Webster defines the word obey as follows:
To be obedient to – execute the commands of; to be ruled or controlled by; to follow the guidance of; to be submissive to restraint, control or command.
In the previous section it was discovered that FAITH is the capacity to believe and then act upon that belief. Obedience is the action part of faith.
It was also discovered that FAITH is the clearing of God’s integrity in our own minds, and being so convinced of God’s plan for us, that we waive our own personal rights in favor of pursuing His Will for us. Obedience is the waiving and pursuing part of faith
THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE
God places an extremely high position of importance on obedience. The importance of the subject can be seen in the fact that it is both, the opening and closing theme of the Bible itself.
In the book of Genesis God is expecting obedience to His command to Adam and Eve to stay away from eating of the fruit of the “tree of knowledge” and the “tree of life” in the center of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2 & 3). Then, when Adam and Eve flagrantly disobeyed God’s command to them, and ate of the “tree of knowledge” they were forced from the Garden, and an angel with a flaming sword was left to ensure the integrity of the garden and the “tree of life.”
In the last book of the Bible, John records these words:
Let this encourage God’s people to endure patiently every trial and persecution, for they are his saints who remain firm to the end in obedience to his commands and trust in Jesus. (Rev. 14:12 TLB)
Then, John goes on to say in the final verses of Revelation:
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter into the city. (Rev. 22:14 TLB)
That is the same “tree of life” that Adam and Eve were never allowed to access. They were evicted from their home to keep them from also disobeying and partaking of the “tree of life.” But that is now the very tree that we are invited to enjoy thoroughly – forever, when we fully obey God’s commands.
Likewise, Moses underscores the importance of obedience:
Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey. . . Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days. (Deut. 30:15-20 TLB)
OBEDIENCE “COP-OUTS”
Over the years, I have listened intently to the various reasons people give as to why they are not instant and complete in their obedience to what God is directing them to do. I have been amazed at the human creativity revealed within the conjured excuses. Allow me to share some of the reasonings I have observed, and see if you might have thought some of the same ideas -- or known folks who have.
“I don’t know God’s Will for my life. Therefore, it is not possible for me to obey. I’m not responsible for what I don’t know.”
“I would rather dictate to God and then ask Him to bless my obedience to my own will – Lord, bless my mess!”
“I have a problem obeying because of what I think it will cost others around me. As an example, my obedience to God looks to me like it is going to work a hardship on my family . . . that’s just not fair.”
“Instead of immediate obedience to what I already know, it would seem more reasonable to take a more thoughtful and sensible approach, weigh the arguments, seek supportive advice from a cross-section of my friends and loved ones, and then embrace a more broad-based approach.”
“I think that God understands the logic of ‘progressive obedience.’ I need a chance to kind of work up to being a little more obedient with each future opportunity. There should be some room for ‘optionality’ -- and then eventually strive to get it right more quickly the next time.”
“When it comes to obedience, I just don’t think I have the attitude or disposition to believe that you are expected to obey with a sense of ‘glad, reckless joy’.”
“To me, obedience carries with it the idea of submission, and I find it difficult to submit. I think it shows weakness! God needs strong people.”
“Complete and instant obedience might have been mandatory for the Children of Israel, but from a cultural standpoint today, I just can’t see the need for absolute obedience all the time.”
“I find it impossible to believe that I must release the results and consequences of my obedience and realize that the outcome is God’s problem. That would be abdicating my own personal responsibility. If I don’t carry my end of the load by worrying, how in the world will anything ever get done?”
THE PAGEANT OF THE PATRIARCHS
From the beginning to the end and all in between, the Bible emphasizes the necessity of obedience. In fact, the Bible presents what almost appears to be a pageant of the story of humanity, revealing the biblical character’s responses and reactions to God’s command to specific obedience. History, then, is the simple recording of the results of the lives of men and women who individually decided how they were going to handle this pivotal requirement of obedience.
This simple, but astounding, requirement has always been for quick and complete obedience. Where individuals have chosen to obey God’s commands there has been ultimate success. Where disobedience was chosen, there has been ultimate failure. The simplicity of God’s singular requirement has not been made complex by God, but by individuals bent on compromise.
Perhaps, this would be a good time to sit back and review a few of the cast members in this pageant of obedience as recorded in the Bible. Let’s let them walk once more across the stage of history and review how they handled this phenomenon of obedience in their lifetime:
NOAH
God required Noah to perform an unreasonable task – absolutely beyond logic. But Noah responded with an obedience beyond reproach. You will find the following phrase recorded four times regarding this new father of the human race:
Noah did everything as God commanded him. (Gen. 6:22, 7:5, 9:16 TLB)
ABRAHAM
Abraham was a friend of God. As he walks across the stage you will notice that he is talking with an Angel of the Lord. It was to Abraham that God declared:
. . . I am the Almighty; obey me and live as you should. I will prepare a contract between us, guaranteeing to make you into a mighty nation . . .It is a contract that I shall be your God and the God of your posterity . . .your part of the contract . . . is to obey . . . (Gen. 17:1-9 TLB)God began fulfilling His part of the contract by giving Abraham a son – even in his old age. One son to fulfill the posterity promise! Then, God tested Abraham’s obedience by saying:
Take with you your only son . . .yes, Isaac whom you love so much . . .and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice hem there as a burn offering . . . (Gen. 22:2 TLB).
Oswald Chambers once wrote regarding this encounter:
God’s command is -- Take now, not presently. It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once. To climb the height God shows can never be done presently, it must be done now. The sacrifice is gone through in the will before it is performed actually.
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning . . .and went into the place of which God had told him.” (Verse 3) The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood. Beware when you want to confer with flesh and blood, i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God. These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God. (Ibid, p.316)
Abraham obeyed perfectly because he had settled the question of God’s integrity in his own mind and was so convinced of God’s plan that he could waive his own personal rights in favor of God’s Will.
And the Angel of God shouted . . .
Lay down the knife; don’t hurt the lad in any way . . . for I know that God is first in your life. . .you have not withheld even your beloved son from me . . . I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore . . . all because you have obeyed me. (Gen 22:12-18 TLB)
Would you like God to work some wonderful and exciting things through your life like He did through the life of Abraham? Then – how does your obedience level measure up? Is God really first place in your life? He wants to be!
JOSEPH
Without the precise obedience of Joseph, the promised posterity of Abraham’s seed would no doubt have ended with the starvation to death of Jacob and his family. On the obedient shoulders of this seventeen-year-old Joseph, rested the fate of the Israeli nation.
Joseph, whose mother died when he was still a small child, grew up with family rivalry that would have made a psychotic out of the most seasoned saint. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Accused of rape by the ageing and frustrated wife of Potiphar, Joseph was thrown into jail to rot.
No one has ever lived who has had more reason to renounce the apparent results of righteousness than Joseph.
It was almost as if God had to take joseph to those depths so that later, when He took him to the planned heights, Joseph wouldn’t get dizzy and fall. Joseph did not become victimized by his circumstances, but rather, obeyed God quickly and completely every time. He was aware of God’s plan (Gen.37:5-10) and responded with perfect obedience.
When Joseph was thirty, God placed within those obedient hands the reins of power over the whole known world. By the end of the seven years of worldwide famine, Joseph had gained control over the known world for Egypt. He had traded grain for control of all the known monetary systems. When the money ran out, he traded grain for all the livestock. When the livestock ran out, the starving people traded Joseph “warranty deeds” to their real estate in exchange for grain.
By the seventh year of famine, the starving people from all over the known world came and pledged themselves as servants to Joseph in exchange for grain (Gen. 47:13-26). Joseph had been allowed to gain control, not with the sword, but by God’s bountiful breadbasket.
God planned the entire phenomenon so that a small band of 70 Israelis – yes, Joseph’s father, brothers, sisters, and their families, could come to Egypt and live under that kind of control and protection.
There in the land of Goshen, that small tribe of Israel was able to fruitfully multiply for 430 years and grow into a nation numbering over 600,000. Then, God told Moses to lead them back home again.
What was the common thread of success through Joseph’s life? Obedience, Obedience, and more OBEDIENCE (Gen. 37-47).
MOSES, JOSHUA, GIDEON
In this pageant of obedience, Moses, Joshua, and Gideon walk across the stage together. They were great men of obedience; executing God’s commands and submitting themselves entirely to God’s control.
HANNAH
This is the little lady who was willing to obediently give her only begotten son so that God would work His wonderful Plan through the little fellow who grew up to be the great, fearless prophet of obedience – SAMUEL. (I Sam. 1-15 TLB)
. . . Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him. For rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshipping idols. And now because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he has rejected you from being king. (I Sam. 15:22-23 TLB)
SAUL
In this scene of the pageant, we see King Saul not walking across the stage, but he is being carried. He has just died. . . from having fallen on his own sword to commit suicide.
DAVID
As King David walks across the stage please notice the flaw there in his performance. That flaw exists only because of his situational disobedience! (II Samuel 11 through 12)
SOLOMON
Watch closely the drama of Solomon. He is an individual who has absolutely everything – everything that is, except obedience:
. . . even though the Lord had clearly instructed his people not to marry into those nations, because the women they married would get them started worshiping their gods. Yet Solomon did it anyway . . . sure enough, they turned his heart away from the Lord . . . thus Solomon did what was clearly wrong and refused to follow the Lord . . . (I Kings 11:2-6 TLB)
ISAIAH
Isaiah was perhaps the most prolific of the prophets. He brings with him to the stage some of his writing materials and motions for us to examine what he has penned concerning this subject of obedience:
Morning by morning he awakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Lord God has spoken to me and I have listened; I do not rebel nor turn away . . . because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know that I will triumph. (Isa. 50:4b-7 TLB)
JONAH
You can tell by this fellow’s appearance that he has had “a whale of a time” learning to obey God’s commands. But listen to what he is saying . . . He is asking how you are presently responding in obedience to God’s instructions, regarding your own “Nineveh”?
DANIEL
As strange as it may seem, this pageant scene is not showing Daniel in the den of the hungry lions who had just been smitten with a bad case of “lock-jaw”. Rather, he is walking across the stage as “Governor Daniel”, one of the most powerful leaders in the Babylonian Empire. Isn’t it amazing what God has in store for those who perfectly obey Him? (Daniel 1-12 TLB)
JESUS CHRIST
Are you a bit surprised to see Jesus walking across the stage in this pageant of obedience? The writer of the book of Hebrews states:
And even though Jesus was God’s Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey, when obeying meant suffering. (Heb. 5:8 TLB)
It was important for Christ, God’s Son, to be perfectly obedient to the will of God, (Read Matthew 26:39-56). How can we even imagine that we can get by with anything less than complete and instant obedience?
Jesus Christ, Himself, testified to His obedience when praying to His Father, as recorded in sacred scripture:
I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. (John 17:4 TLB)
God always honors those who are quick and complete in their obedience regardless of the cost. The way that God is going to awaken our world today is through men and women of obedience. This is the way God has worked throughout history, and He is looking for men and women through whom He can work even today.
Next Week: Part 2: Practical Principles of Obedience