How To Think Biblically About Obedience At Work
Hugh Whelchel
The word obedience does not carry a very positive connotation for me. In my youth I was told to brush my teeth, finish my vegetables, and do my homework. As I have gotten older the list has changed: get your yearly physical, get your income taxes in on time, and do your expense report at work.
However, the thoughts or images obedience conjures up are still just as negative. Obedience often means doing whats necessary, but not fun. By the time we all reach adulthood, we have been heavily programmed to think of obedience as unpleasant but necessary.
The reality is that scripture actually teaches that obedience is good for us. And knowing what the Bible says about obedience is critical. Without a biblical view, its easy to turn obedience into something that has nothing to do with living out our Christian life.
Obedience and Our View of Sin
Truth is not often taught in the evangelical church today, particularly when it comes to the concept of sin. A low view of sin leads to a low view of obedience and a low view of grace, all of which has consequences for our work.
This, however, is not a new problem. Paul addresses it in Galatians 5:13 when he writes,
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh rather, serve one another humbly in love.
The Greek word that Paul uses here for flesh, sarx, refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Holy Spirit.
Biblical Definition Of Obey
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew words Shama` and Hupakoe are frequently translated into to obey, and to listen in a position of submission The word carries an underlying tone of reverence and obedience, of subordination as a soldier ranking under an officer. In the New Testament we also have the word Peitho which means obey, to yield to, and to trust in, to believe in.
1)Deuteronomy 21:18-19 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives.
2)1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
3)Genesis 22:18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.
4)Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.
5)1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.
6)Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Our Ultimate Allegiance Is To God Not Man
While we are commanded to obey the law, we must remember that our ultimate allegiance is to God, not to man. When confronted with a similar dilemma in Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles boldly stated We must obey God rather than men. This statement was true in the time of the apostles and it is just as true today.
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What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Psalm 119:30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness I set your rules before me. Luke 6:46 Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, We must obey God rather than men.1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
John 8:51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. 1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.2 Kings 18:6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. John 14:31 But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.Exodus 23:22 But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
Group 1 What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Group 2 What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Group 3 What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
It Is An Act Of Worship As It Demonstrates Our Love For God And Sets Us Apart
- Obedience is the hallmark of our salvation.
- Although we are saved by Grace through the redemptive work of the cross and by the blood of Jesus It is our obedience sets us apart as authentic children of God.
- Obedience is our way of showing God that we love Him and it is through our obedience that God recognizes us and enables us to enjoy His Love.
- Thus, our primary motive for obedience must be to show God that we love Him
- This in turn will allow God to reveal himself to us, and activates Gods power to work in our lives.
John 14: 23-24 Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them
Questions: If we call ourselves that we are children of God and claim to love God, do we demonstrate that love by obeying His commands. Can God truly count you as one of His Children? Do we align our daily actions with Gods word as an act of worship?
Can others around you testify that indeed you are a child of God because your actions are in line with Gods word?
How do you treat your family members? How do you behave at work? How do you relate with your friends? How do you talk about other people?
Remember coming to church is good, singing in the choir is good, doing all religious thing is good. But it is an obedient heart that God loves.
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Iii Obedience And Believing In Jesus
All who claim to be Christians agree that one must have faith to be saved . But some claim that faith makes obedience unnecessary. “We are saved by faith alone. As long as you believe in Jesus, it doesn’t matter whether or not you do these other things.” When some people are told about the need for obedience, they begin describing people who believe in God and Jesus, as though that is all that is necessary to salvation. But is this a correct conclusion?
Obedience Instances Of Jehoshaphat
He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him. For they said, He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.
The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. He took great pride in the ways of the LORD and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah.
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What Does Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice Mean For Us Today
We dont sacrifice animals these days. We know our ultimate sacrifice gave his life on the cross. So what does obedience is better than sacrifice mean for us today?
I think it is hard for us to recognize, but some of the signs are discontentment, restlessness, feeling unfulfilled, and feeling as if we are missing something.
Have you ever gone through the Christian motions without your heart being in it? Go to church, love your neighbor, sing songs about grace. Weve been so well trained, we can check them off like a to-do list.
To me, this is sacrifice. The sacrifices in the Old Testament were outward service. They were specific and always accomplished in the same order and manner, but they did nothing to change the wicked hearts of man.
As created beings, we are looking for an intimate connection with our creator. We are in need of a personal relationship with our Abba Father.
What if we stopped focusing on the good and simply listened to the conviction in our hearts? What would that look like?
Obedience, it looks like obedience.
A true relationship with Christ comes through obedience. We come because we are called, we go through the motions of repentance and baptism because it is our desire to become one with him. To follow in so close association that our words are his and his will in ours.
Christian Quotes About Obedience
There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God. D.L. Moody
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading. Oswald Chambers
God has no more precious gift to a church or an age than a man who lives as an embodiment of his will, and inspires those around him with the faith of what grace can do. Andrew Murray
Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will. Jonathan Edwards
True faith will inevitably manifest itself in the performance of works of obedience The performance of works are the result of faith and the fruit of justification. R.C. Sproul
The safe place lies in obedience to Gods Word, singleness of heart and holy vigilance. A.B. Simpson
Just as a servant knows that he must first obey his master in all things, so the surrender to an implicit and unquestionable obedience must become the essential characteristic of our lives. Andrew Murray
Our obedience to Gods commandments comes as a natural outgrowth of our endless love and gratitude for the goodness of God. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
If you know that God loves you, you should never question a directive from Him. It will always be right and best. When He gives you a directive, you are not just to observe it, discuss it, or debate it. You are to obey it. Henry Blackaby
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Gods Protection On The Obedient Children
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee . This verse of scripture will only work for you if youre obedient and abide by the rules of God and not setting your own standards for yourself. Gods protection will not be on disobedient children therefore, whatever the devil throws at them will penetrate into their lives.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land , The earth is the lords and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein .
The whole universe is in Gods hands, including the desires of your heart. And he has made everything that pertains to life available to us even before we needed them. But we still find ourselves struggling over them, why? Ill tell you. The bible says: if ye be willing and obedient ye will eat the good of the land. .
And it shall come to pass, if thou shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which i command thee this day, that the lord thy God will set thee on high above all nation of the earth. Deuteronomy 28:1, beneath sickness, lack, poverty, failure etc.
Imagine all these been above you. Hmmm. I cant imagine. Every good thing has a price tag attached to it, nothing good come easily. I want you to take your time and meditate on these words.
What Does The Bible Say About Obedience And Disobedience
Obedience is the practical acceptance of the authority and will of God. It includes both submitting to Him and then expressing that submission in actions, words and thoughts. To be obedient is to be in agreement with God. To be in agreement with God is to be in a position of power in Christ.
Disobedience is caused by rebellion and distrust of God. To be disobedient is to yield to self-will instead of surrendering to God and desiring His will in all things.
God expects obedience .
To choose Christ is to choose obedience .
To become disobedient is to sin or rebel against God .
What Scripture Says
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known” .
“But Samuel replied: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king” .
“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land” .
“Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?”
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” .
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Reasons Why Obedience To God Is Important
1. Jesus Calls Us to Obey
In Jesus Christ, we find the perfect model of obedience. As his disciples, we follow Christ’s example as well as his commands. Our motivation for obedience is love:
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
2. Obedience Is an Act of Worship
While the Bible places a strong emphasis on obedience, it’s critical to remember that believers are not justified by obedience. Salvation is a free gift of God, and we can do nothing to merit it. True Christian obedience flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord:
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrificeâthe kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
3. God Rewards Obedience
Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards obedience:
4. Obedience to God Proves Our Love
The books of 1 and 2 John clearly explain that obedience to God demonstrates love for God. Loving God implies following his commands:
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
5. Obedience to God Demonstrates Faith
When we obey God, we show our trust and faith in him:
6. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice
What The Bible Says About Obedience
Gods call to a life of obedience is clear throughout the Bible.
The Holy Spirit is given for obedience.I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The gift of faith is given for obedience.Through him and for his names sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith .
We are redeemed for obedience.He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit .
We are chosen for obedience.To Gods elect, strangers in the worldwho have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood .
The gospel is not only to be believed it is also to be obeyed. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? .
Obedience is the evidence of new life in Christ.We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands .
How does the cumulative weight of these passages impact you?
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