In our alphabet series ‘The A-Z of Christian Faith‘, we looked at the subject of obedience. Obedience is never a popular topic, for ever since Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, people rebel against being told what to do. Disciplining children is an important part of parenting (see Heb 12:11) and God is our heavenly Father who seeks our ultimate good which can only come about if we follow His rules. Obedience has to be more than to the letter of the law, however; our love for God is proved through our obedience.
Jesus placed great emphasis on obedience (see Matt 7:21-23) and told His disciples that the work they had to do was to believe in Him (Jn 6:28-29). Obedience has to be practical (1 Jn 3:18, James 2:15-18) and must affect every area of our lives. God has given us free will and does not rule as a dictator, wanting us to choose obedience freely (see Deut 30:15-16, 19-20; Joshua 24:15). Our response to God will always be determined by our view of God; if we see Him as restrictive and cruel, we will struggle to obey, whereas when we understand that we are in a relationship based on love and trust, we find His commands are not burdensome (1 Jn 5:3) and want to obey (see Rom 6:1-2).
Obedience can lead to legalism if it is not based on a relationship with God. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their legalistic attitudes (see Matt 23:23-24) and reminded them that it’s not just a question of following rules, but of understanding God’s heart. All the commandments were summarised into two: loving God and our neighbours as ourselves (Mk 12:29-31), which Paul condenses, saying, ‘The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.’ (Gal 5:6) We can’t be prescriptive about obedience but must learn to listen to the Shepherd’s voice and then do whatever He says. (Jn 2:5)