Obedience - Part 2

So here I am again making an attempt to finish what I started with my post on obedience.  This time I want to give you some ways in which you can be obedient.  These are just a few ways that I have determined, through scripture, that the Lord reveals to us how to be obedient.  Because I feel strongly about supporting anything I say with scripture, there is a lot of that in this post - but it is SO good!

The Old Testament is full of laws, so no doubt the topic of obedience is addressed many times.  The big picture of obedience and what comes as a result can be seen in Exodus:

Exodus 19:4-6 God’s promise that results from obedience

4'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself. 5'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

This is a powerful statement from God, He truly has a royal life for those who choose Him.  Isaiah expands on this very thing, and starts to get more specific about way we can obey:

Isaiah 56:1-7 Obedience is heeding God’s commands and loving the Lord.

Rewards for Obedience to God
    1Thus says the LORD,
         "Preserve justice and do righteousness,
         For My salvation is about to come
         And My righteousness to be revealed.
    2"How blessed is the man who does this,
         And the son of man who takes hold of it;
         Who keeps from profaning the sabbath,
         And keeps his hand from doing any evil."
    3Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
         "The LORD will surely separate me from His people "
         Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
 4For thus says the LORD,
 "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,
 And choose what pleases Me,
 And hold fast My covenant, 
5To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
 And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
     I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. 
6"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
 To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD,
 To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath
     And holds fast My covenant; 7Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
 And make them joyful in My house of prayer 
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
 For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

When we get to the New Testament, we have the fulfillment of the old law in Jesus and his death and resurrection - YAY!  SO through salvation in Jesus Christ we obtain the inheritance of His obedience and as we pursue sanctification in Him, we find new ways to obey.  A great theme of Jesus' ministry is love, and so it is no wonder that love is a way in which we can be obedient.

2 John 1:6 - obedience and love

6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.


Now that our salvation is found in Jesus, we are reminded that faith is still critical to our spiritual life and well being.  It is through obedient faith that we receive all that God has for us, here on earth and in heaven!

Hebrews 11:8 - obedience and faith

 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.


One of the most important aspects of obedience is the fact that our obedience is a tool that God uses to reach other people.  The way we obey and serve God is a testimony, and our confession of the gospel of Christ is obedience.

2 Corinthians 9:13-15 Obedience in sharing the Gospel

 13Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

One aspect of obedience that we may often hope to overlook, is that of suffering.  Wouldn't we all rather not deal with that one?  However obedient suffering is a deeply intimate action of obedience that Jesus fully experienced and it is His suffering that sets an example of obedient suffering.

Hebrews 5:8 Obedience learned through suffering (Jesus)

 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

So to wrap things up I want to emphasize obedience and love one more time.  Why do we obey God? Why do we have a desire to obey God? Because He loves us, and it was Jesus' supreme act of obedience, death on the cross, that enables us to intimately know God and begin our journey of relationship with Him.  Surely Jesus' obedient death on the cross, a deeply personal act of intense love for you, is worth pursuing obedience and love in a relationship with Him.