Jesus explained obedience to mean doing the will of the Father. He illustrated this with a parable in Matthew 21: 28-32 saying, A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today’. He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said, “The first”. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you”.
From Jesus’ parable, obedience means doing the will of the Father. It is not lip service but a fact of performance. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 21, not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. It is complying unconditionally with all that the Lord has instructed. We cannot pick and choose. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2: 9, I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything.
Christ’s was obedient to God
Christ Jesus also passed through the test of obedience. Paul said in Philippians 2: 8 he (Christ Jesus) humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Obedience to the Lord is not subject to our desires, life or death but a selfless devotion to our master’s will.
Peter aptly says in 1 Peter 1: 14, like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Obedience to the Lord is also not subject to one’s status in life. We read from Hebrews 5: 8 that although he (Christ Jesus) was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Jesus’ obedience was not influenced by his status as God’s only Son.
Who is an obedient servant?
We cannot claim to be obedient yet seek our own pleasures which are rooted in ignorance. In Acts 5: 29 Peter and the apostles answered, we must obey God rather than any human authority. Sadly, we rather subject obedience to human authority and pleasures because of what we hope to gain materially.
John said in 1 John 2:4 whoever says, “I have come to know him”, but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in his person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him.
Obedient servants do not disobey God because disobedience is a sin. In 1 John 3: 24 everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. Paul then says to obedient servants in Romans 6: 12 therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. It is not profitable to disobey God but to obey him is everything in this life. Our passions must give way to God’s commands for in the end God, and not our passions will be our judge.
In 1 Corinthians 7: 19 obeying the commandment of God is everything. Paul proceeds in Galatians 3: 10, cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law (God’s laws). An obedient servant knows what God loves. John says in 1 John 5: 3 for the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. If we love God, we will do what he loves.
What is the reward for obedience?
Obedience was long foretold in the Old Testament before the advent of Christ Jesus in Deuteronomy 15: 5; 28: 1, not as a plea but a command which requires diligent observance. God made obedience as a condition for his favours. God said in Exodus 19: 5 now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. Are we God’s treasured possession?
Moses said in Deuteronomy 28: 1 if you will only obey the LORD your God, by diligently observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth; all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the LORD your God. This means obedience will however place us above our expectations.
We are told in Deuteronomy 12: 28, be careful to obey all these words that I command you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, because you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. In the eyes of God, obedience to him is good and right whilst disobedience is bad and wrong. The reward extends to our children and generations unborn.
God said in 1 Kings 6: 12, ‘Concerning this house that you are building (Solomon’s temple) if you will walk in my statutes, obey my ordinances, and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will establish my promise with you, which I made to your father David. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel’. God does not, and will not forsake an obedient servant. Samuel said in 1 Samuel 15: 22 to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. The misconception that we can pacify God with sacrifice rather than obedience is wrong.
God said in Jeremiah 7: 233 obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you. God spoke through Isaiah in Isaiah 1: 19-20 and said, if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for this mouth of the LORD has spoken. Since creation, obedience has received God’s attention as the basis for a worthy relationship.
What are the words of Jesus?
To an obedient servant, God says in Revelation 3: 3, remember then what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I (Jesus) will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Jesus demands that we obey his words of life.
God’s requirement for obedience applies to all his instructions without choosing what we want or what suits us. It is only by obedience that we can be identified as God’s servants by his grace. Obedience works out as humility to God and honours God. Are we God’s obedient servants?
Prayer
Dear lord Jesus, we confess our disobedience to you and repent of the same. Wash our sins in your blood and save our souls today. Humble us and teach us to obey you rather than to sacrifice. By your grace help us to obey you as you are to the Father in heaven. Stay in our hearts and rule our lives forever so we may be obedient servants in your holy name, Amen!!
