The Nature of Obedience

Introduction:

Would you consider yourself to be an obedience person?

In considering the nature of obedience, we must ask questions like such as follows:

What is obedience?

Is all obedience good obedience?

For our message today, I will be using the following definition for obedience: obedience is when the inner being of a person submits his/her will by faith and behaves according to God’s commands.

Illustration:

...A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said the same thing. And he answered and said, I go...: but went not. Whether of the two did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first son. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. - Matthew 21:28-31

There is a kind of obedience that is dangerous.

The Danger of Obedience

The phrase the Danger of Obedience may strike you as strange for several reasons. First, notice that our passage shows that obedience is the right response. Secondly, how could something that is the right response be dangerous? Thirdly, we are aware that God’s people should be a people of obedience.

Illustration:

From our very own children’s SS comes the song, “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe....

But I would suggest that there is a kind of obedience that can be dangerous, and this kind of obedience can be eternally damning. People who are known as obedient may actually go to Hell forever.

Listen to the words of Isaiah 1:10-13. It is apparent that the LORD’s nation was still offering sacrifices in obedience to the LORD - but the LORD was sick of their obedience.

Isaiah 1:10–13 KJV 1900

Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; And I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, Who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; The new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

In the NT we have another example of people who were obedient, yet it was a dangerous obedience. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus speaks to the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus admits that they are keeping the law, but the rest of the passage shows how their obedience was incomplete.

Matthew 23:23 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

What makes this obedience so dangerous is that it is a self-righteous obedience. By self-righteous, I mean that they really have confidence in how orderly and obedient their life is.

But, this is an obedience that lacks true heart. They are compliant in what they do, but they lack a sensitivity or a love — they lack heart. There is an emptiness on the inside.

Illustration:

With the children, I like to use an illustration where I take two eggs. One egg is perfectly normal and looks normal. I poke a small pin hole in the top and bottom of the other egg. After poking the pin holes, I blow in one hole and force all of the insides of the egg out of the other hole.....While both eggs look the same on the outside, one is hollow and empty while the other has substance.

My point to you is that there is a right, wholesome, biblical obedience, and there is a dangerous, hollow, empty, false obedience.

Seeing and understanding the nature of obedience is important for God’s people, but it is especially important for those who consider themselves to be God’s people.

In order to understand the nature of obedience, there is a starting point.

(1) Complete obedience is the expected response - Joshua 1:16, 18

The answer of these leaders to Joshua is certainly encouraging to read. It is primarily a response of obedience to the servant of the Lord. Though complete obedience is implicitly in Joshua 1:16, the word “hearken” is used in both Joshua 1:17 & 18. The word hearken means that they heard, understood, and will obey what they have been told.

Application:

Obedience is something that is contrary to our nature, but it requires a heart of submission. This kind of heart is accomplished by faith in the One who makes us new creations. Once a person has been saved, obedience is the way of life. Obedience is to the LORD Jesus Christ.

The New Testament is filled with many commands. From commands about living holy lives to commands of preaching the gospel. This is only reasonable for those who have been redeemed.

If you find within yourselves an adversarial spirit towards submission or being told what to do, rest assured that this is not consistent with your new life in Jesus Christ. Remember that Jesus Christ endured the greatest submission, and those who are followers of Jesus Christ should be characterized as obedient people: in our homes, in our jobs, in our countries.

Obedience is one of the chief ways we are assured that we are children of God, according to I John 2:3-6.

1 John 2:3–6 KJV 1900

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

As faith is obedience and submission, so faith breeds obedience, but unbelief leads on to higher-handed rebellion. With dreadful reciprocity of influence, the less one trusts, the more he disobeys; the more he disobeys, the less he trusts.

- Alexander Maclaren

It was Joshua’s obedience to the Word that would prove his belief, and it was Israel’s obedience to Joshua’s word that would prove their belief. This is the expected response.

(2) Qualified obedience is the only acceptable response - Joshua 1:17

It was a Generational Obedience

Notice how their response connects Joshua to Moses. It is no mistake that these respondents connect Joshua with Moses. They have recognized that Joshua is continuing the work which Moses’ could not continue because of death.

Of note, the people of God did not listen and obey all that Moses commanded. Though these people may have been mere children, their parents were known for continual murmuring and complaining.

It was an Qualified Obedience

That is what makes the next statement so telling: “only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.” The word “only” is like saying “however” or “regardless” or “nevertheless”. This word indicates that whether the people were obedient or not, they were dependent upon the presence of the LORD with Joshua. This is what I mean by “qualified obedience.” It is a commitment to obedience that is ultimately trusting, NOT in the SELF, but in something or someone else. It is like an ear mark that makes the outcome sure. It is what distinguishes the right kind of obedience from a dangerous obedience — a genuine obedience from a hollow obedience. There is only one kind of obedience that pleases the Lord and it is the obedience the results from a genuine heart of belief. Faith is what qualifies obedience and makes it acceptable.

Illustration:

Several years ago, my brother was in town. He and I took our guns to the shooting range where we had a time of fun shooting our guns. He began to tell me about how he has to qualify for his job. Periodically, at that time, he would have to qualify by getting a certain score in his shooting examination. He would have to hit the target and be quite precise. The term he used was the term “qualify”. If he did not “qualify” then he did not pass.

Friends, without faith, it is impossible to please God. So, here, we see these leaders who know that ultimate success was not based on their obedience to Joshua, but that it was based on the Lord’s presence with Joshua.

Joshua 1:17 (Joshua (NAC)): 1:17 ...In light of the discussion...Joshua would not be able to rely on the people’s obedience—despite their promises! Rather, his success would come from the Lord’s presence, not from the people’s obedience (or lack of it). The people’s words may have been well-intentioned, but their use of this word—and what follows—makes it very clear where Joshua needed to look for help: not to their obedience to him, but to God. (NAC)

Why is this a significant point? It is significant because there is a danger in obedience. What is this danger? It is the danger of believing that our obedience is the key to the success of God’s mission. What makes this so troubling is that it causes us to place faith and trust in our obedience.

It is about faith in the LORD.

What I am NOT saying is that our obedience does NOT matter. People who are in relationship with God desire to and must obey. As we go on living a life of obedience, we have a strange way of beginning to trust that our obedience is what brings about success. It is not obedience that is the victory over the world, it is faith that is the victory over the world. One may ask, “Faith in who?” Faith in the Lord.

The Lord’s presence

The Lord’s abiding presence with his servant was absolutely key, because the LORD is the One who brings about success. This reality is what makes the life of Christ so astounding and so comforting for the Christian. God’s abiding presence came to this earth — namely Jesus. Jesus, as the perfect servant/leader, accomplishes an obedience that we could never accomplish, dies in the place of all those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:1-2) [And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:], rises again from the dead, commissions his people with promise — Matthew 28:18-20 [Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.] , and then sends his Spirit as his abiding in dwelling Person (John 14:17 - Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.)

Application:

Christians obey because of Jesus’ success

This means that now we obey with absolute confidence in the abiding presence of God. His commandments are not grievous. We do not obey with faith in our works but with faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work. We do not obey for success. We obey because of success. This also means that when we fail, when we disobey, when we sin, we can come back to the Father with confidence that He forgives, and that He is the One who causes his work to succeed in me.

Obedience can be a slave master

Obedience that has faith in itself is very dangerous. It is an obedience that looks like it pleases the Lord, but it is an obedience that has self-confidence.

For the person who is living with this kind of idea of obedience, you are living a life of slavery to a slave master that will never be satisfied. You will never feel like anything is enough. You will press your self-expectations on others. You will rarely know true happiness except in the things that are purely natural, just like all other unsaved people (child birth, employment, awards...). True happiness eludes you. Even if you could master perfect obedience morally, socially, and legally it would never be good enough for a perfect, holy God. You must repent of your sinful self-righteousness and believe on Jesus as your Lord. He is a tender, kind, compassionate Lord who equips and enables you to obey.

Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Dangerous obedience is an obedience that is unqualified by genuine faith in the Lord. Obedience that qualifies is obedience that grows out of genuine belief in the Lord.

(3) Covenant obedience calls for a high valuation (v. 18)

The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience. - Anon

Dr. B. J. Miller once said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” - MBI’s Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.11

Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

The Value of Obedience

As Christians, who have been radically saved through the obedience of Jesus Christ, we value obedience and disobedience more highly than we used to do so. Before I was saved, I thought that my obedience could save me. At that point, I viewed my obedience as the never ending pursuit. I viewed obedience as this savior that could never be satisfied.

Now that I am saved through the obedience of Jesus Christ — how can I not consider that His obedience cost him his life? My heart rests in the perfection of Jesus Christ. The rest of soul and conscience that this gives me every day is priceless.

Obedience is no longer a tyrant that I have to seek for my salvation, but obedience is a delightful pursuit because of the salvation I have received. Just as sure as there is delight in obedience, there is a growing distaste for disobedience, which the respondents point out for us.

The Value of Disobedience

Notice the high cost that they would impose on any who disobeyed. Joshua 1:18 identifies this as rebellion, and the cost of rebellion would be death.

A couple of things to notice about this commitment by the people regarding rebellion/disobedience: (1) This was their commitment and not something imposed by Joshua, their leader. (2) This confirms the accountability to which they held each other in community. (3) This manifests their understanding of deep covenant commitment.

When someone understands that they are in covenant commitment, they know that there is accountability, and they understand and are willing to submit to examination by those with whom they are in covenant.

We see then that it is not only obedience that is important — an obedience with faith in the presence of the LORD, but also a full commitment to the covenant community. This is a commitment that is transparent, takes sin seriously, and acts for the purity of the community.

Application:

Broad to Specific:

This is how the church of Christ is to be understood today. It is a place where we understand that our human nature is still a struggle. Our confidence is not in the perfection of our obedience, but we obey because of the perfection of Christ’s obedience. This also means that we are transparent and open to those around us who should speak to us about our sins.

If you want to see how seriously you take the covenant you’re in with your brother/sister in Christ, see how willing your are to have your sinfulness addressed. The absolute opposite of this kind of covenant commitment is the person who completely isolates and sees church members as intruding in areas they don’t belong when they speak to them about sensitive subjects.

How can we grow in this area?

(1) I Peter 1:13-14 Take seriously the lusts of your heart

Men, it is not enough that you don’t act on your lusts. By God’s Spirit, war against lusts of heart.

Women, it is not enough that you don’t act on your worries. By God’s Spirit, war against worry in the heart.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord - for this is right! War against the desire to not be told what to do.

(2) I Peter 1:22 Pursue pure love of Christian brethren

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

Wives, submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.

All Christians, submit yourselves one to another.

There is a purity of love that we are to have towards each other, and this is evident as we submit to each other.

(3) I Peter 2:13-16 Submit with redemptive expectation

Don’t justify rebellion against the government.

The story of Daniel and the three Hebrew boys is NOT what we are going through in the USA.

Remember that Jesus Christ lived during the rule of Rome. In order the redeem, he did not defy Rome - He laid down his life.

Let your faith be fueled by the word of God rather than by than by governing laws/policies.

Defined: obedience is when the inner being of a person submits his/her will by faith and behaves according to God’s commands.

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E is the very best way to show that you believe.

Is your heart resting in the complete obedience of Jesus Christ?

Is your life committed to obedience to the laws of God?