Hi friends,
A new community member emailed me this question:
How important is absolute obedience to God’s Word?
How would you answer him?
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I’m not sure what circumstances caused the new member to ask the question, whether it’s out of fear, confusion, or simple curiosity, but I hope this encourages.
I’d say, if its out of fear that God might not be with us for failing Him in some way, let me start by reminding that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). God’s love is steadfast, not dependent on our performance. If we’ve sinned or fallen short, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Sometimes we face hard circumstances that aren’t the direct result of our actions. The Bible reminds us that Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13), so we don’t carry the weight of guilt for things outside our control. Obedience doesn’t earn us God’s love, it’s our response to it.
If the question was asked out of curiosity, I’d say this: we obey God’s Word because He is our Creator and our Heavenly Father. As the One who made us, He knows what is best for us. His Word reveals His will and character. Psalm 119: 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. True obedience flows from love, not fear or duty (John 14:15). His Word is not just instructions, but it is given to us out of His love for us to fulfill His purposes for us. As Isaiah writes, God’s Word shall not return to Him empty, but it shall accomplish that which He purposes (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Holy Spirit who inspired the biblical authors also lives in our hearts when we place our trust in Christ and so the Holy Spirit uses the Word to change our hearts (Titus 3:5-7). Even when we can’t see earthly rewards, obedience will bring eternal fruit.
Perhaps, its more accurate to say, God desires a heart surrendered to Him, rather than absolute obedience. God knows its impossible for man to walk in absolute obedience to Him and enter Heaven (Matt 19:26). That is why He sent His Son. The more we know God through His Word, the more we are able to surrender to Him and walk in obedience to Him.
Obedience to God’s Word is very important, not because it earns us anything, but because it keeps us aligned with His will and His heart. I know when I dont walk in obedience, I miss out on the joy and freedom that obedience to His Word promises. I have been amazed at how God uses some believers mightily because of their simple trust.
I hope this sheds some light on the question. Look forward to learning from others insights and experiences as well.
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Hi @lakshmi,
Those are some helpful and wise reflections.
Here are a few brief thoughts I had about this question after reflecting on it:
First, absolute obedience to God’s word is absolutely important. God is the greatest authority and so we should definitely pattern our lives after what he has revealed to us.
Second, because it is so important, it requires great wisdom!
For instance, if we think that absolute obedience means self-mutilation (e.g. Matthew 5:27-30) then we will harm ourselves in a way that is contrary to Jesus’ meaning.
Jesus is telling his disciples to make every effort to have pure hearts, but that does not mean he wants them to literally gouge out their eyes.
In particular, I think it’s critical that we start with the conviction, “God loves me and wants me to thrive as his beloved child.”
At the same time, we know the Christian life involves taking up our cross and following him.
Again and again, we will need wisdom to discern what it looks like to live as God’s beloved and to embrace sacrifice for the benefit of others.
Third, to gain this wisdom, we need trustworthy friends to help us discern God’s word.
Unfortunately, we can be in a cult and think that we are surrounded by trustworthy friends. In this context, we can make very poor decisions because we are being manipulated by people pretending to have our best interests in mind.
However, it remains the case that we do need wise, trustworthy friends to help us navigate life well as disciples of Jesus. We see that Jesus brought together a community of disciples, and their friendships were critical to the formation of the early church.
If in God’s grace we can find a couple of good mentors, a couple of good friends, and a couple of people to invest in, then I think we will make much better decisions to obey God than if we try to do it by ourselves.
Fourth, obedience is enabled by the Holy Spirit. We don’t do this as a self-improvement project, but as an experience of grace. If we are relying on the Spirit, we will see our lives and relationships bursting with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Those are some starting thoughts for me. I look forward to learning from others!
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Good morning Sir!
Yes, I believe it’s very important to eshew all ongoing INTENTIONAL sin. Particularly sins like fornication, porn, adultery, lying, stealing, coveting, addictions, etc…. (all listed in Gal. 5:19-21, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 5:1-6). Ongoing intentional sins like these are not only inexcusable, but also conquerable, if we believe the Word of God. Heb 6:4-8 describes the paramount importance of this, as does Heb. 10:26-31. God is not smiling if we insist on keeping such sins in our lives. Why would we?
Might we stumble at times, and perhaps get angry when we should not, be perhaps unforbearing or impatient in the moment, or blurt out the wrong thing in some situations? Yes. But I don’t think these are intentional, and most of us hate when we stumble as such. Bible says , If we judge ourselves, wew ill not be judged. 1 Cor. 11:31. Most of us hate these stumblings, and repent quickly, with godly sorrow. However, CHOOSING to continue in fornication, lying, porn, whatever is very different from this.
I think it’s important to understand the meaning of “salvation”, in a way. Peter said that God sent Jesus to bless us…. by turning us AWAY from our iniquities. Acts 3:26. Iniquity seems to be a state of having what one might call a “black heart”, one that enjoys sin, and may even connive to keep it. I.e., one who is not fully surrendered to God’s will.
Jesus said that He “can” save us OUT of slavery to sin. But there is a caveat…. we must “continue in the Word”. Jn 8:31-36. The Word of God can help transform us, by the renewing of our minds. Rom. 12:1-2. Also, Paul said that faith comes by hearing. But hearing comes by the Word of God. Rom. 10:17.
Jesus says we must “abide in Him” and His Word. If we do not, we can easily fall of the “Vine” (Him) and be burned. Jn 15:1-6. Jesus said it’s better to gouge out an eye or cut off an arm if it is causing us to sin, than keep all our body parts and end up in the lake of fire with them. Mark 9:43-48. Jesus is not joking, He is not some cosmic Tiny Tim “tiptoeing thru the tulips” handing out bon-bons to disobedient children. (A reference to a singer on an old comedy show called “Laugh In” from the 1970s I believe).
No, Jesus is handing us a cross, as you mentioned above. It means denying self, “losing OUR lives” for God. We need to choose whom we will serve. Josh 24:15. God, or satan? We have a choice of masters now. We need to choose life. Dt. 30:19. God IS our Life. Dt. 30:10. God IS our “exceeding great reward”. Gen 15:1.
Remember when Jesus was telling the Apostles that far to many folks were “deaf, blind, without understanding, UNCONVERTED”… and that He thus couldn’t save/heal them in Matt 13:13-15. Seems like our best chance of getting hearing, sight, and understanding comes from the Word of God. And it’s where the Truth is.
(Sadly, I believe that most of “churchianity” today in the USA is not Biblical Christianity. They have a god, they have a jesus, but these are not THE GOD and THE JESUS of the BIBLE. It is merely another form of idolatry, like what Israel kept practicing in the OT. They would have some practices of God’s faith, use the Temple, wear the robes, and even hold a “feast unto the LORD” while worshipping a golden calf. Ex. 32:4).
But keeping His commandments? Not coveting? Not worshipping Istar, Molech, whomever? Nah, they weren’t willing to lose that and obey God. The other gods of the other nations didn’t really care much about people forsaking sin. Much more palatable to carnal, unconverted mankind.
Paul defines “Grace” as that which teaches us how NOT to sin. Titus 2:11-12. Grace teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should love soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world”.
Yes, it’s by God’s grace, His gift and kindness, that He would offer salvation out of slavery to sin to us humans. Eph. 2:8-10. But the intent is that we walk in righteousness—by the power of Grace, by the Holy Spirit– for which we were foreordained.
It’s not because we deserve it, earned it, or can do anything to be worthy of it. But Grace is not a license to sin (Rom. 6:1-4), nor that because no matter what, God will accept us since we said the “sinner’s prayer” or because we believe that He is, He exists, that Jesus died for our sins. The devils believe there is one God, and tremble. James 2:19. We should also have the wisdom to tremble and fear God.
What was the Gospel that the Angel preached in Rev. 14:6-7? It began with “Fear God”…..
Even Paul said it’s a shame to sin. 1 Cor. 15:34. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Billy Graham many years ago said that one of his friends counted the “commandments” in the NT, and there were about 1050. Jesus said that if we love Him, we’ll keep/treasure/guard/obey His commandments. And that God will love us if we do so. John 14:21.
When I read my Bible, I often look for passages containing “commandments”. Eph. 4:22-32 is one good example. Eph. 5:22-24 is a good one for us wives.
Jesus said we will be judged by what we DO, our “works”, how we choose to live, particularly once we have the gift of faith and His Holy Spirit power in us to walk as He walked. Matt 16:24-27, Rev. Ch. 2-3, Mt. 7:13-27.
I see most of this as being related to the New Covenant described in Jer. 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Heb. 8:8-13. It’s where God writes His laws in our hearts and minds. It’s a transformed heart and mind, where we yearn to please our Father, to walk with Him in righteousness…. because we CAN, due to the Holy Spirit’s power within us to do so.
Heb. 13:20-21 is a prayer for us all, that the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, will make us perfect in every good work to do HIS WILL, working in us that which is wellpleasing in His sight.
Being in the Word of God (I believe we all should be reading the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, maybe every year or so if we are able) changes us, and gives us faith for overcoming sin. Faith comes by hearing…. hearing comes from the Word of God. Rom. 10:17. Jesus said that the Words He speaks to us are Spirit and Life. Jn 6:63. Jesus is, after all, THE WORD OF GOD. Rev. 19:13, Jn 1:1-4.
Paul said Jesus washes us by “water by the Word”. Eph 5:26.
This walk is a faith walk. I believe Romans chapter 6 describes what we need to have faith in, in order to conquer sin in our lives. It’s like Joshua and Caleb, who DID believe that God would conquer the Canaanites in the Promised Land, and deliver their enemies into their hands. Numb 13-14. That God would place “the necks of their enemies under their feet”. Josh 10:24-25.
God has done that for us too! He has placed the power of satan under our feet… but we –like Joshua and Caleb– have to believe it. Jesus expects us all to be overcomers. Rev. 2-3 . Overcome what? SIN.
Jesus overcame sin (Heb 4:15, Rev. 3:21), and if we believe the Bible (Jn 14:14-21), then we can too, via the power of HIS Holy Spirit in us. Do we believe it? Do we want to overcome our pet sins? Or do we love our pet sins more than we love God? If we don’t want or don’t believe it, are we actually “believers”?
Jesus said “many are called, few are chosen”. Mt. 20:16. I believe most of the folks we see in modern Christianity were “called”. But to be “chosen”, we must “continue in the Word”, “deny self”, “forsake all that we have”, “follow Christ”, etc…. Jn 8:31-36, Matt 16:24-27, Luke 14:26-33, Mark 10:28-30.
This walk isn’t a cakewalk. Rather, it’s a cross, it’s narrow, and will involve suffering, tribulation etc… Matt 7:13-14. If we “suffer in the flesh, we will cease from sin”. 1 Pet 4:1, 1 Pet 5:5-10.
Sorry for the longwinded reply. Sarah
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Hi Sarah,
I grew up as a pastor’s kid, so I’ve sat with this l tension between faith and works my whole life, and I love your heart for holiness here. I want to build on what you said about grace teaching us to walk in righteousness by the Spirit’s power because that’s exactly where I find my footing. Our assurance rests on Christ’s finished work, not on our ability to maintain certain standards (Rom 8:1, 1 John 1:9). That security is what lets obedience flow naturally instead of out of fear. The Spirit is patient with us as He transforms us (Phil 1:6). I think that’s the same “fear God” you’re pointing to. If we properly sit in awe at who He is, it should then frees us to actually live abundantly and freely instead of obsessively monitoring ourselves.
What are some ways you (or others) have found the finished work of Christ freeing in your life?
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