Obedience to God is the most important command in the believer’s life. 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 “by what he suffered he learned obedience”, which does not mean that he learned as a consequence of having been disobedient. What the Bible tells us is that at all times the Lord did the will of his heavenly Father, and paid the price for 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, respecting, abiding by, and fulfilling the will of the authority or the person in charge.
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.
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Partial obedience is the worst enemy of obedience
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 they see fit. It is good to go to the temple, pray and read the Bible, but if we participate in sin, we only partially obey him. Another Example the Lord demands to give the tithe, and we only give 5%, knowing that it is 10% that is partial obedience..
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 appreciated 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 the fruit from the trees in the orchard, 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 drives us to do what we like. The Lord has given us many blessings, but every time he asks us to get rid of what he doesn’t like, we try to find excuses not to do it. There are times when we even use them to justify our rebellions.
We come to believe that our needs, circumstances, and suffering 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 time 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 a model of obedience to God
Jesus Christ is our model of obedience. This was something that Christ mentioned when talking to the Samaritan woman, especially when he told her: “My food is to do the will of him 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 that came to listen to 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 do not come into this world knowing how to obey God. We are the parents who must invest time to teach our sons to follow the instructions of the Lord. I will give you: 8 keys to enter the door of obedience to God..
8 keys to enter the door of obedience to God..
1. Decide to trust Him.
We will not be able to obey the Lord if we do not trust Him. Every time we feel tempted to disobey Him in some 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 everything he has promised us.
2. Be willing to wait on God in prayer.
The first thing we must do to ensure that we are walking in God’s will is to ask him to show us what he wants to do in our lives. We must spend time meditating on the Holy writings and look for passages that show us his will and direction.
Then we must wait for his instructions, according to his time. And although there are times when we will not understand what the Lord is doing, knowing that he knows every aspect of our lives 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 to every situation we face.
When Joshua needed direction, the Lord told him, “This book of the law shall never depart from your mouth, but you shall 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 and see what awaits us, we will miss out on many of the blessings God has in store for us. We cannot see in advance what the Lord will do, but our responsibility is to obey him with the certainty that our future is in his hands.
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call that God gave him, although he did not know where it was leading him (He 11.8). And it is in this way that we must walk with the Lord. He will not show us all the way, for with each step we take he 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 doesn’t seem reasonable from our point of view. And we also know that obedience can result in others turning away from us because they don’t understand or don’t agree with what the Lord has told us.
6. Leave the consequences in God’s hands.
We may feel doubts once the Lord challenges us to obey Him. But we must remember that our God has the power to help us in any situation we face. The only thing he asks of us is that we obey him and observe the way in which his will works in our lives.
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 his discipline? If we blame him and resist his discipline, we show that we have not learned to be obedient.
But if we have a spirit humble and obedient, 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 much 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 bear 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 unbelievers and be an example to those who watch as we live.
Jesus says in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say.” If Jesus is Lord of his life, he should do what he asks him to do. Matthew 7:13-14 tells us that the path that leads to salvation is narrow. It is because it is limited by the will of God, the law and the Word. We need to 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 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 sad 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 are listening to 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 with your attitude of bitterness and refusal to forgive. That is disobedience. It is the complete opposite of what God wants to achieve in his 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.” Ritual can never replace obedience. In 1 Peter 1 the apostle says: “Gird up the loins of your mind” (v.13).
In other words, make sure your priorities are in good order. “As obedient children, do not conform to the desires that you previously had in your ignorance” (v. 14). Don’t live the way you lived before you became a Christian. They have to be obedient children.
Jesus said: “Rather blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). Paul, 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 believers is manifested.
We must commit ourselves to obey the Word of God. If the Spirit teaches you a truth, apply it. When you feel touched in your conscience by the truth, do not say: “How I wish that such a person had listened to this sermon.”
Apply the message to your own life. When you obey Christ, you grow in spiritual maturity and become more useful in God’s hands.
If you have not accepted Christ as your savior, you are in disobedience.
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