The preachers quoted here describe obedience as doing what God says, at once, with a right heart. They call it love expressing itself, the surrender of one's will to another's authority, the final proof of confidence in God, and the foundation of real faith.
In both Testaments to obey is first to hear. The Hebrew shama means to hear and so to heed;1 the Greek hupakoe is attentive listening that ends in compliance.2 Samuel's words to Saul set the standard: "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Jesus joined obedience to love. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). John writes, "this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3).
It is also joined to faith. Paul's aim was "obedience to the faith among all nations" (Romans 1:5), and Hebrews says, "By faith Abraham ... obeyed" (Hebrews 11:8).
Obedience is not the ground on which God accepts anyone. That ground is the obedience of Christ: "by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). He "became obedient unto death" (Philippians 2:8) and "learned ... obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). The believer's obedience is the fruit of being accepted.
Under the new covenant God gives what he commands. "I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezekiel 36:27). "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Andrew Murray's small book speaks of "the chief lessons to be learnt in Christ's school of obedience."3
Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount with the man who hears his sayings and does them, and asked, "why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Where human authority forbids what God commands, the apostles' rule applies: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
- Strong's Hebrew 8085, shâmaʻ: "to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)".
- Strong's Greek 5218, hypakoḗ: "attentive hearkening, i.e. (by implication) compliance or submission".
- Andrew Murray, The School Of Obedience, "Preface".
In their own words
Each line below is quoted exactly from a sermon on this site. Follow the link to hear or read it where it was said.
Obedience is instantly doing all God tells me to do with the right heart attitude.
Harold Vaughan
in Obedience
Listen at 12:57
Obedience is love, fulfilling every command, love expressing itself.
E.M. Bounds
in Prayer and Obedience
Read in context
Obedience is not only subjection to an external law, but it is the surrendering of my will to the authority of another.
A.W. Pink
in Profiting From the Word 6. the Scriptures and Obedience
Read in context
Obedience is the final demonstration of confidence; and confidence is never perfect unless it is the confidence of absolute love.
G. Campbell Morgan
in The Message of Deuteronomy
Read in context
Obedience is at the foundation of true biblical faith.
Denny Kenaston
in Biblical Obedience
Listen at 5:13
Obedience is the way to realign our lives with God and our wills with his.
J. Glyn Owen
in Key Words: Obedience
Listen at 6:29
What Scripture says
- 1 Samuel 15:22 to obey is better than sacrifice
- John 14:15 if you love me, keep my commandments
- Romans 5:19 by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous
- Philippians 2:13 God works in you both to will and to do
- Acts 5:29 we ought to obey God rather than men
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