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

How can we conquer our sins?

John makes it clear that Christians do not have to sin.  "I am writing these things unto you that you may not sin" (1 John 2:1 NASB).

The secret of victory over sin is found in the phrase "walk in the light" (1 John 1:7)

To walk in the light means to be open and honest, to be sincere - with God, with ourselves, and with others.

But walking in the light also means obeying God's Word (1 John 2:3-4). "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).  To walk in the light means to spend time daily in God's Word, discovering His will: and the obeying what He has told us.  

Obedience to God's Word is proof of our love for Him.  There are three motives for obedience.  We can obey because we have to, because we need to, or because we want to.

A slave obeys because he has to.  If he doesn't obey he will be punished.  An employee obeys because he needs to.  He may not enjoy his work, but he does enjoy getting his paycheck!  He needs to obey because he has a family to feed and clothe.  But a Christian is to obey His heavenly Father because he wants to - for the relationship between him and God is one of love.  "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15)