Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe,
Doing exactly what the LORD commands, doing it happily.
Action is the key, do it immediately.
Joy you will receive!
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe!
I'm sure nearly everyone has heard that Sunday School song at one point or another. But if you take a close look at the words, some of them are very profound and challenging. That line, "Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe" is like a hammer to the ego when it sinks in. How often do we obey? Like, really obey?
What is obedience? Is it just doing as we're told, or it there more to it than that?
Obedience is defined as a "compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority."
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive... Hebrews 13:17
You can outwardly obey without being submissive on the inside. We do it all the time.
Obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looks at the heart, and if He sees that we serve Him from force and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering. ~ Charles H. Spurgeon
The example that comes to mind is Cain and Abel: how Cain halfheartedly sacrificed to God, but was so jealous that he was rejected and Abel was favoured, that he killed his brother. In the Old Testament and before Jesus Christ came to earth, the only way to make atonement with God for the sins of the People of Israel was with a blood sacrifice. This is what Abel offered to God; a spotless lamb. When Jesus came, He was the perfect sacrifice, obliterating the need for continual sacrifices and providing the only way for sins to be forgiven. (See our four part Gospel series: Part One: Who is God?, Part Two: The Glory of God not Honored, Part Three: His Name is Jesus, and Part Four: Because He Lives)
Sacrifice? Shouldn't God be willing to accept even a little offering from one of His creations? 1 Samuel 15:22 says, "to obey is better than sacrifice." Presently, God doesn't call us to sacrifice animals to make atonement for our sins as He required of the People of Israel in the Old Testament. He calls us to obey.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
Do what the Lord bids you, where He bids you, as He bids you, as long as He bids you, and do it at once. ~ Charles H. Spurgeon
The excuse has been said that "since God Himself didn't tell me to do it, I don't need to do it." God isn't vocally active in our modern world the way He used to be in the Old Testament, but don't think that He's absent altogether. (See a previous post: ...And God Knew.) Our Heavenly Father has taken care to place authoritative people in our lives. He set a government over us with rules for [mostly] our good. He gave us police officers and the RCMP to protect us and to carry out the orders of the government. We have employers, directors, and parents that we are to obey. If we are in the body of Christ, it is our duty to obey, and to obey in love and submission.
I'm not oblivious as to think everyone has a Christian environment to grow up or work in. What if someone in charge over us asks us to do something that goes against what we believe as a Christian? A wise friend said something along these lines: "God commands us to the obey those in authority over us only until it comes to the point where we would be breaking God's law if we were to proceed. Then and only then can we disobey our superiors."
The world will know we are Christians by the way we obey and our joy and love while doing it. Even if it's a small chore that your siblings are grumbling about, the task no one wants at summer camp, or a last-resort job that you have to take, we are to do it, do it well, do it "for the Lord and not for men." (Colossians 3:23)
Obedience is a huge topic. There are thousands of scenarios, thousands of people we encounter that we must obey with a good attitude. Obedience requires great amounts of faith and trust, both of which are each complex.
When we obey, we have numerous opportunities to love, trust, be selfless, and joyful. Don't let them slip away from you!
Let us say with the People of Israel, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" (Joshua 24:24)
<3 Berea
<3 Berea
I really loved what you said about obeying authorities and that obedience without submission and not from the heart isn't true obedience. Oh and I really liked your example of Cain and Able: How Cain was really just sacrificing for his own gratification.... Because he got jealous, and not in obedience to God's way of sacrificing. Well written! Very clear! A couple questions that came to mind, why do we obey? And does joy really come from our obedience?
ReplyDeleteIn the song one of the lyrics was "joy you will receive" and I agree there is joy that comes from obedience... But if my joy only came from obedience I would be most miserable! Paul Washer categorized the Christian faith this way: 1) knowledge of God 2) faith in the truth of God 3) joy in Christ 4) obedience to the will of God. It's in that order we find joy! Faith comes by hearing the word of God and knowing more of Him. From faith comes our joy in what Christ did on our behalf. From joy and love for Christ we want to obey His will for our lives. Some thoughts! Keep writing great stuff!