Christian Obedience

Introduction

The Bible has a lot to say about obedience. Adam was called to obey, Israel’s righteousness depended upon their obedience to the Law, the Lord Jesus Christ obeyed, the apostles called the church to obey. 

Yet, even though so much is written about obedience, many Christians take a soft or even anti-obedience approach to the subject. Many simply do not believe that there is a requirement to obey God, especially since we are under grace and not the Law of Moses. Obedience to God, however, is the expectation of us by God Himself. There is an expectation to obey today, even as men and women of God were called to obey in times past. 

In this essay, we will explain the meaning of obedience, and examine its role in the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

What Is The Meaning of “Obedience”? 

In order to understand the idea of “obedience” in the Bible, we need to understand the role of commanding and listening as these two actions are indispensable to the idea of obedience. In fact, in the Old Testament language, Hebrew, and in the New Testament language, Greek, “obedience” is a form of the verb “to listen.” As we will see, obedience can be defined as the complete accomplishment of all that is instructed or commanded. 

Old Testament

A broad sweep of the Old Testament demonstrates that obedience is understood as the action of hearing a command. That is to say, to “obey” is to do all that is heard from a superior with the understanding that a person superior in rank has communicated some kind of command to someone in a lower rank. Although this might be most evident in a military setting, it also shows up in the home, in marriage, in business, and in society. A couple of negative examples will help us to understand. 

- Adam was commanded by YHWH to eat from any tree of the garden, but to never eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was the only command given to Adam while in the Garden of Eden before the fall. And yet, when he ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Apostle Paul tells us that he “disobeyed.” His action of eating from the tree contrary to God’s command was disobedience. His action of not eating from the tree would then be obedience. Further, as God came to speak to Adam to punish him for his disobedience, He described Adam’s disobedience in this way: 

Then to Adam He said, 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

Cursed is the ground because of you;

In pain you will eat of it

All the days of your life.  (Genesis 3:17, LSB)

Adam’s disobedience was described in terms of “listening to the voice of his wife,” as opposed to listening to the voice of God. That is, Adam submitted to and acted upon what Eve erroneously said instead of what God said. This is the essence of obedience and disobedience. 

- Saul was commanded by YHWH to destroy the accursed Amalekites, a nation at odds with Israel from their inception. King Amalek was the king in the region of Edom, a geographical region south of the Dead Sea. When the Hebrews left Egypt during the Exodus, they wanted to pass through this region which would take them to their promised land. That region was called Edom, named after the descendants of Esau. However, the king of Edom would not allow Israel to pass through his land, and he met Moses with force, thus incurring a curse from God. When the curse upon Edom for this action was to be meted out, King Saul did not follow through as he was told. In essence, he did not fully do all that was said for him to do. Rather, Saul and his men secured valuables of sheep, oxen, and possessions, as well as capturing the King of Edom alive. The Prophet Samuel was told by YHWH what Saul had done, and the result was that YHWH took Saul’s kingship over Israel away from him and his house forever. The response to Saul for his disobedience gives us a clear picture of the importance of obedience in the eyes of God. Samuel the prophet, speaking from God, said:

“And Samuel said,

“Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of Yahweh?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

And insubordination is as wickedness and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh,

He has also rejected you from being king.”  (1 Samuel 15:22–23, LSB)

To these two monumental examples we could add scores of other examples from Israel, kings, prophets, and people. However, the importance of obedience is seen here and should help secure the meaning of obedience. Neither Adam nor Saul accomplished all that was commanded them. 

Examples of obedience are also abundant in the Old Testament. Abraham obeyed God even at the potential expense of his son. Abraham’s wife, Sarah, obeyed Abraham even when abducted by King Abimelech. Phinehas obeyed the command to strike down the immoral Israelite and the Midianite woman. Caleb fully obeyed God by believing they could conquer the powerful inhabitants of Canaan. The Prophet Daniel obeyed God by praying when he was told not to under penalty of death. These examples demonstrate the unusual men and women who obeyed against all odds. The results of their obedience are examples to us of the possibility of obedience against all odds as well.

New Testament

The uniqueness of the New Testament age, the age of Messiah, makes obedience even more possible and normal. That is to say that obedience is a component of the New Covenant, which covenant was inaugurated by the death of Christ. His blood secured the New Covenant for Israel in the future at their restoration, and for the church such that the ministry of the church today is the ministry of the New Covenant.

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do My judgments.  (Ezekiel 36:27, LSB)

This passage informs the entire possibility of obedience in the New Testament age. Since the New Covenant was inaugurated with the blood of Jesus Christ, the resultant obedience from the Holy Spirit is also introduced into the entire work of redemption. In other words, God works in the heart in order to “cause” the New Covenant believer to obey His commands, which are different from the Old Testament since the church is different from Israel. 

The Call To Obey

As mentioned, the New Testament has much to say concerning obedience. Just as in the Old Testament language, Hebrew, the New Testament language, Greek, uses the term “to listen; hear” as the word for “obey; obedience.” It has the idea of listening to instructions or a command in order to carry it out completely. As in the case of King Saul, partial obedience is actually disobedience since to carry out instructions completely is the intention of the instruction. 

A couple of the more important passages which prioritize obedience for the child of God are as follows:

1 Pe 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who reside as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.  (1 Peter 1:1–2, LSB)

14 As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct;  (1 Peter 1:14–15, LSB)

Peter indicates in this fantastic passage that obedience to Jesus Christ is 1) God’s intended purpose for the Christian, and 2) what produces the comparative holiness for the Christian. In other words, obedience to Jesus Christ is the purpose of God, and will lead to holiness in the obedient Christian. Peter’s teaching here gives us the view that obedience has an eternal purpose and such purpose makes obedience to Jesus Christ critically valuable. 

14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take special note of that person to not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.

15 And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.  (2 Thessalonians 3:14–15, 

As can be expected by the call to obey Jesus Christ, there are consequences regarding not obeying Him. The church can be said to be constituted by those who have been empowered by God, the Holy Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ. Those Christians who do not are either in sin which can distract from the empowerment of the Spirit of God, or simply are not regenerate. Either way, the biblical response to disobedience in the church, as Paul urges here, is to distance oneself from a man or woman who does not obey the Word of God. In fact, the process includes taking special note of that person and separating oneself from him. This effect may serve to call attention to the disobedient person and their actions and cause them to repent from his shameful disobedience. 

The Obedience of Jesus Christ

When we want to consider the obedience of the child of God, we must examine the obedience of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is impossible to urge Christians to obey God unless they first examine the obedience of Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is not only our pattern to follow as He obeyed the Father, but His obedience is the encouragement we need at times when obedience does not come so easily. 

It is clear from the Lord’s own teaching that His entire ministry on earth was essentially a life of obedience to God the Father. The Father had given Him commands, instructions, expectations, and the Lord spent His life obeying and doing those instructions. A few consummate passages will show that Jesus’s life was a life of obedience and such obedience was kept even until, especially until, His death. 

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (John 6:38, LSB)

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, •saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”  (Matthew 26:39, LSB)

“I can do nothing from Myself. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (John 5:30, LSB)

It is statements like these which teach us that the life of Jesus Christ, the very details of where He walked, how He conversed with people, what miracles He performed and didn’t perform, and even the good and bad events in His life, were all given by the Father for the Son’s faithful obedience and accomplishment. Unless the Son had obeyed, these events would not have been carried out, and it is these events which were ordained by the Father to occur. Jesus’s faithful obedience to the Father in light of these events determined their proper outcome. 

The ultimate result for them all, however, the outcome predetermined by the Father for the accomplishment of redemption, was the Roman cross. His death was the ultimate display of obedience assuming that His death was the expectation and command of the Father, as well as the desire and willingness of the Son. It is not possible to examine everything surrounding the death of Christ, but as it relates to His obedience, it is important to realize that that level of obedience gives us the example we need when our own obedience seems so very counterintuitive to us. 

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  (Hebrews 5:8, LSB)

The obedience “learned” by the Son was not the learning of something He did not know, per se. His learning was the sense of experience and continuity of obedience even in light of impending death, a gruesome and horrifying death at that. His suffering leading up to, and including, His death were the means of His expression of obedience. And, instead of obeying in a way with which we cannot identify nor emulate, Jesus Christ, it is said, “learned” obedience through His own suffering. His suffering, up to and including the cross, was the testing of His obedience such that He could prove His love for God. This is what becomes for us the purpose of suffering as well.

Conclusion

It is the intended purpose of God that His children obey Him. As can be expected, in order to imitate Jesus Christ in that Jesus Christ obeyed the Father, we must also obey the Father. This obedience comes down to how we “listen” to the Word of God and do it. The Bible is the instrument by which we know the commands of God. If we obey the Bible, then, we have obeyed God.