“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” – John 14:15 (NKJV)
What is obedience? The Oxford Dictionary defines obedience as “doing what you are told.”
In the context of the Bible, it is simply obeying God’s commandments and statutes and acting on them. Obedience, then, can be defined as the bedrock of our Salvation. Deuteronomy 28:1 (NCV) states, “You must completely obey the Lord your God, and you must carefully follow all His commands…”. The operative word is “COMPLETELY.” Sometimes, we adhere to part of the command and assume that we have complied with the command. Understand that if you have not completely complied, you were not obedient.
A good example of this in the Bible is the account found in 1 Samuel 15:1-23. God sent instructions to King Saul through Samuel on what to do as he engaged the Amalekites in war. Samuel partially obeyed the instructions, and that was considered disobedient. This caused him to lose favour with God and the beginning of his downward spiral. Verse 22 clearly shows that God views obedience as higher than sacrifice. It is a clear picture of the premium value God places on our obedience over anything else.
Even though we experience salvation through Jesus Christ by the grace of God, it is our obedience to God’s Word that sets us apart as true children of God. By being obedient to God’s commands, we demonstrate our love for God as our Creator and Master. Through this obedience, God recognises us and enables us to enjoy and bask in His love for us. Our obedience is the ultimate act of worship to God, and it ignites His love for us.
Read: Psalm 128:1-2; Luke 11:28
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 34:1-10; Luke 1:39-56; Numbers 2:10-34; Numbers 3
Hallelujah Hallelujah.