Obedience to God is the most important command in the life of the believer. Obedience does not happen spontaneously, it is learned and exercised through our attitudes and actions. In Hebrews 5.8 we are reminded that even Jesus “learned obedience by what he suffered,” which does not mean that he learned as a result of being disobedient. What the Bible tells us is that at all times the Lord did the will of his heavenly Father, and paid the price of being obedient by going to the cross (Jn 6.38).
What is Obedience?
The term obedience (originating from the Latin oboedientĭa), is related to the act of obeying, that is, of respecting, abiding, and fulfilling the will of the authority or of whoever commands.
What is obedience to God?
Obedience consists of doing what God says, when, how and with whom He says. There is no room for passivity when it comes to obedience to our heavenly Father. This level of commitment requires an active decision. Obedience to God is an attitude that we have to learn to accept. It is not a quality that we automatically acquire when we become believers. As for how to obey God? the Lord Jesus provided us with a perfect example of submission to the Father.
Partial obedience is obedience’s worst enemy
If the Lord gives us instructions, it is because he expects us to do what he has entrusted to us. However, some believers only obey him when it is convenient for them. It is good to go to the temple, pray, and read the Bible, but if we participate in sin, we only partially obey it. Another Example, the Lord demands to give the tithe, and we only give 5%, knowing that it is 10% that is partial obedience.
The first scenario that God used to teach obedience.
The Garden of Eden was the first setting that God used to teach obedience. The importance of doing what God asks of us is seen in the story of Adam and Eve. God did not speak to them about faith and humility, but about obedience. He gave them permission to eat all of the fruit from the trees in the garden, except for one of them. It was by disobeying that sin and its consequences entered this world.
Every human being has failed this same test because our nature prompts us to do what is to our liking. The Lord has given us many blessings, but every time He asks us to shed what He doesn’t like, we try to find excuses not to. There are times when we even use them to justify our rebellions.
We come to believe that our needs, circumstances, and sufferings are legitimate reasons for disobeying the Lord. We do not realize that our heavenly Father makes use of everything that comes into our life, in order to fulfill his plans in us. At no point did he promise us that he would give us an easy life, free from pain and suffering. But he does assure us that he blesses all who obey him.
Jesus Christ is the model of obedience to God
Jesus Christ is our model of obedience. This was something that Christ mentioned when speaking with the Samaritan woman, especially when he told her: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work” (Jn 4:34).
That is, he affirms that obeying his heavenly Father was what brought satisfaction to his life. He did not seek the approval of the crowds who came to hear him, but his soul was satisfied by pleasing the heavenly Father.
It is by obeying God that we feel the most joy, but sometimes we believe that it is better to do what we like. As a result of our obedience, we may be misunderstood, lose our job, or be rejected. However, if we obey him, we will enjoy his blessings and feel the satisfaction of being able to do God’s will.
How to enter into Obedience to God?
We don’t come into this world knowing how to obey God. We parents must take the time to teach our children to follow the Lord’s instructions. I will give you: 8 keys to enter the door of obedience to God.
8 keys to enter the door of obedience to God.
Decide to trust Him.
We will not be able to obey the Lord if we do not trust Him. Every time we are tempted to disobey Him in any way it is because we do not trust His promises. That is why we must wholeheartedly trust that God is who he says he is, and that he will do all that he has promised us.
2. Be willing to wait on God in prayer.
The first thing we must do to make sure that we walk in God’s will is to ask Him to show us what He wants to do in our life. We should take time to meditate on the Holy Scriptures and look for passages that show us his will and direction.
Then we must wait for his instructions, according to his time. And while there are times when we won’t understand what the Lord is doing, knowing that He knows every aspect of our life will give us confidence.
3. Meditate on his Word every day.
We will not be able to live in obedience if we keep our Bible closed, because it is through it that God guides us. It is in the pages of God’s Word that we will find the answer for every situation we face.
When Joshua needed direction, the Lord told him: “Never will this book of the law depart from your mouth, but you will meditate on it day and night” (Jos 1.8). Today we have God’s written revelation, and the Lord promises to bless those who obey it.
4. Be willing to walk even if the path is not clear.
If we refuse to move on because we want to wait to know what lies ahead, we will miss out on many of the blessings God has in store for us. We cannot anticipate what the Lord will do, but our responsibility is to obey Him with the assurance that our future is in His hands.
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call that God made him, although he did not know where it was leading him (He 11.8). And it is in this way that we should walk with the Lord. It will not show us all the way, for each step we take strengthens our faith.
5. Be willing to experience conflict.
All who obey God will face conflict. We will feel discord within us every time the Lord calls us to do something that does not seem reasonable from our point of view. And we also know that obedience can result in others turning away from us because they do not understand or agree with what the Lord has told us.
6. Leave the consequences in the hands of God.
We may have doubts once the Lord challenges us to obey Him. But we must remember that our God has the power to help us in whatever situation we face. All he asks of us is that we obey him and observe the way his will works in our lives.
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7. Accept divine discipline in response to our disobedience.
God disciplines each of his children. The question we must ask ourselves is: how will we react to their discipline? If we blame him and resist his discipline, we show that we have not learned to be obedient.
But if we have a humble and obedient spirit, we will recognize that God’s discipline is a show of love and we will respond with gratitude.
8. Obedience to God brings Blessing
Behavior without an attitude of obedience to God is meaningless; Internal obedience is far better than an external act of worship (1 Sam. 15:22). Furthermore, obedience to God leads us to the other correct spiritual attitudes. There are other important reasons why we should live in obedience: To glorify God, to receive blessings, to witness to unbelievers, and to be an example to other Christians.
Being obedient also allows us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are in a position to reach non-believers and be an example to those who observe how we live.
Jesus says in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call, Lord, Lord, and not do what I say.” If Jesus is Lord of your life, he should do what he asks him to do. Matthew 7: 13-14 tells us that the path to salvation is narrow. It is because it is limited by the will of God, the law, and the Word. We must affirm Christ as Lord (Rom. 10: 9-10) and submit to his lordship. That means living a life of obedience.
Importance of obedience to God
God has called us to be obedient to his Word. We can know what He thinks about things because He tells us so in His Word. The goal of the ministry should be to form an obedient people. That has always been God’s intention in both the Old and New Testaments.
It is said that when some people are confronted with divine truth that convinces them of something that is not right in their lives, they continue on their path of disobedience. For example, suppose you hear a sermon on forgiveness and there is someone you know who needs your forgiveness.
But you try to erase that message from your mind and continue your attitude of bitterness and refusal to forgive. That is disobedience. It is the complete opposite of what God wants to achieve in your life.
Someone will say, “I am going to the temple. Isn’t that enough? First Samuel 15:22 says, “Surely to obey is better than sacrifices.” Rituals can never replace obedience. In 1 Peter 1 the apostle says: “Gird up the loins of your mind” (v.13).
In other words, be sure your priorities are in good order. “As obedient children, do not conform to the desires that you previously had while being in your ignorance” (v. 14). Don’t live the way you lived before you were a Christian. They have to be obedient children.
Jesus said: “But blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28). Paul, in praising the Christians of Rome, says: “Because your obedience has become known to all, so I rejoice in you” (Rom. 16:19). The heart of a pastor rejoices when the obedience of the believers is manifested.
Apply the message to your own life. When you obey Christ, you grow in spiritual maturity and become more useful in God’s hands.
