Obedience

Obedience involves both action and direction; it is both passive and active.   It is not enough just to avoid what is wrong, we need to actively pursue what is right.

It is not enough to say no to sin, we must also say yes to a life of commitment to God.

Obedience to God does not always result in success or blessing, like in Judges 20:19-28

"Material prosperity is not always an indication of God's blessing.   It can also be a result of self-centeredness."  If you are experiencing prosperity, remember that God holds us accountable for how we attain success and how we use our wealth.

Often, the first effect of obedience is not blessing, but suffering.  Sometimes, what God requires of us will initially lead to pain and sadness.   We shouldn’t assume that difficulty means we’ve made a mistake or that He has abandoned us.  Let’s look at two significant examples of suffering as an initial result of obedience: eg. Moses facing complain about life in the desert and Paul facing persecuting and hardship while preaching the Word of God.

Why is it so difficult to change and live in obedience to God's Word? 

Paul exposes the weakness of our flesh as the root problem that prevents Christians from living the kind of lives that God requires and which we, as Christians, desire in our innermost being. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out - 

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. 

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.

There are 3 motives for obedience :-

a) we have to

b) we need to 

c) we want to 

when we were children, we obeyed because we had to.  If we did not obeyed, we were spanked, but as we grew up, we discovered that obedience meant enjoyment and reward, so started obeying because it met certain needs in our lives.  And as we matured, we obey because of love. 

"Obedience and stubbornness are two sides of the same coin.  Obedience brings joy but our stubbornness makes us miserable." - Pastor Rick Warren 

True Christian obedience flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord: 

OBEDIENCE IS FAITH IN ACTION