Mission Venture Ministries

But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you.’ (Jeremiah 7:23) 

Obedience is defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” Using this definition, we see the elements of biblical obedience.

• Dutiful – means it is our obligation to obey God, just as Jesus fulfilled His duty to the Father by dying on the cross for our sin.
• Submissive – indicates that we yield our wills to God’s.
• Commands – speaks of the Scriptures in which God has clearly delineated His instructions.
• The one in authority – is God Himself, whose authority is total and unequivocal. 

Therefore, for the Christian, obedience means complying with everything God has commanded. 

When God’s children obey their Heavenly Father, He is glorified. Jesus told us that the plan is for others to “see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Of course, performing “good deeds” requires obedience to the One who calls us to good deeds. 

The Bible often tells us that God blesses and rewards obedience, “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to Him” (Psalm 128:1). And James 1:22-25 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. . . . Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” 

Obedience to God proves our love for Him (1 John 5:2-3), demonstrates our faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3-6), glorifies Him in the world (1 Peter 2:12), and opens avenues of blessing for us (John 13:17). 

When we obey the Lord, we can live a life of joy, without shame, rooted deeply in the Lord and confident in our eternal hope because, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our obedience is actually part of our assurance that we truly know God (1 John 2:3). 

God is a loving Father, and if we haven’t been following His commandments, if we’ve been living in and for the world, we can be transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We can ask God for forgiveness, and He will grant it. And He will choose to forget the sin, just as if we had never committed it in the first place. God is glorified when He extends forgiveness, because it is written, “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds. . . . Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16-17). 

As we see, obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). For Christians, the act of taking up our cross and following Christ (Matthew 16:24) means obedience. The Bible says that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him in all things: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). As Jesus stated, a Christian who is not obeying His commands can rightly be asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). 

Only Jesus Christ is perfect, but as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from within, we grow in holiness. This is the process of sanctification, which can also be described as spiritual growth. The more we read God’s Word, spend time with Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to change us from within, the more we grow in obedience and holiness as Christians as Psalm 119:1-8 states: “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—they do no wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.” 

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence (and obedience) for God (2 Corinthians 7:1). 

The verse above says; let us work toward complete holiness. Obedience is a lifelong process that we pursue by making it a daily goal. Therefore: 

• Obedience is an act of surrender, it is when we as Christians say “not my will Lord but Your will be done,” we align our actions with God’s will.
• Obedience is not easy; many times it means taking the more difficulty road and doing things that are against our fleshly desires.
• Although difficult at times, obedience sets us apart as authentic children of God. God will know us by our obedience; even those around us will be inspired by our obedience.
• Obedience demonstrates our faith and trust in God becoming the key to our success.
• Obedience is the sure and promised way for opening up blessings for our lives.
• For us to be able to fully obey, we must read His word every day and ask God to empower us with His Holy Spirit so that our life honors Him in everything we think, say and do. 

Remember that obedience to God’s commands will make us light and salt in a dark and tasteless world (Matthew 5:13-16). 

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