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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