Special Study Outline

OBEDIENCE
One verse that many religionists seem to have forgotten about is this one from the marvelous Epistle of Hebrews: “And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:9). I say that because many Bible teachers affirm that our obedience to Christ has nothing to do with our salvation. They have an understanding of “faith” which does not include obedience, and so, since we are “saved by faith,” our obedience can have nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation. When we look at the life of a man like Abraham, we see that this idea will not hold up under careful scrutiny. When Bible students think of Abraham, the great patriarch of antiquity, the first thing they usually contemplate is the unique faith of this man. Indeed, Abraham was and is one of the greatest examples of genuine faith in the Lord that humanity has ever witnessed. But the greatest evidence of Abraham’s faith—a point which we must not lose sight of—was his (generally) unwavering obedience to God. The biblical record affirms that this man of faith was also a man of obedience, for obedience is something to which genuine faith will always lead. When Abraham was called by God, Abraham responded. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” (Heb. 11:8). Significant it is that the Hebrew writer affirms it was “by faith” that Abraham “obeyed.” Obedience, to some who proclaim loudly that they have faith in their hearts, has become a kind of theological obsenity. Some simply do not want the responsibility that goes with an acknowledgment of God’s authority over their lives. Conforming their manner of life to an outside voice of authority seems outdated. They seem to want to ignore the fact that Scripture still speaks an authoritative word, and will continue to do so. It is not spiritually “backward” to admonish strict adherence to God’s precepts. Those who love God will see the evidence of such love in their own willingness to do what He tells them. Others love to talk about the “necessity of obedience” but somehow never get down to actually practicing it. These individuals love sermons extolling the theme, and a dazzling verbal display of the quotation of “obedience verses” is nothing short of music to their ears. But for some reason it remains an abstract concept, with practical application conspicuous by its absence. When we think of obedience, we must learn to think concretely. What does Scripture tell me to do? Am I doing it? These are important questions. The Bible teaches that those who love God—those who have “faith” in God—will obey whatever God commands. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). “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.” (1 John 2:3-5). His commandments are contained in His word—the New Testament—and if we have faith in Christ we will obey them. We must remember, in preaching and teaching the word of God, that it is not our word. God’s commandments are not up for discussion. “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly, ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 13:46, NIV). There is only one way to speak the word of God, and that is the way Paul and Barnabas did: boldly. We have nothing to apologize for when we proclaim God’s way of salvation through Christ. It is not our word to alter or water down—nor should we apologize for it. This is the word of God which we speak. Man’s words are often worth rejecting, because some of them are good and true and some of them aren’t. But with God, every word that comes forth from His mouth is true. Therefore, we can have boldness and confidence in passing that word along to others. We must tell others that Christ gives eternal salvation only to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9). Many in our religious culture do not want to hear that message, because they have imbibed a doctrine of salvation by “faith alone” that does not include the Bible’s teachings about obedience. But again, this is God’s word we are dealing with. Those who love God will humble themselves, believe what He says and do what He bids. The key to following God in obedience is humility. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6). The word of Scripture calls us to a life of humility. The only one that God will accept and use is the one who is lowly before Him. David knew that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17, NKJV). The call to be humble may well be the hardest command in the Bible. There is no call of God that is more contrary to our selfish natures than this one. It is important, however, that we understand the paramount importance of humility, for the testimony of Scripture throughout is that God, as James says, “resists the proud.” You cannot be the friend of God if you are arrogant or haughty or full of pride. God will resist you and His presence will be taken from you. Why is this so? Because there can be only one “God” in the relationship. Only one can be the focus of attention, the object of desire, and this must be God. The “spotlight” must be on Him. He must get the glory. He is God and I am the sinner. Pride keeps self in that central position of our lives that only God should occupy. Humility, then, is far more than just one of many “Christian graces.” It is actually the key to having God in your life at all. That is, humility is the only attitude that makes appropriate room for God in our lives. Without it, God will go somewhere else. Because He is God and we are not, He makes the rules. We are to mold our hearts and wills after His, not try to fashion Him according to our will. Abraham was a man of obedience and faith because Abraham was a man of humility before God. Remember the Psalmist’s words: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17, NKJV). Since God is seeking a “broken spirit” and a “contrite heart,” it would do us well to observe that such is manifested by obedience. When we choose God’s way over our own, then we are exhibiting a broken spirit and a contrite heart. When King Saul disobeyed the clear instruction of God, the word of the Lord came to him: “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.” (1 Sam 15:22, NIV). When you compare the word of God here to David’s words in Psalm 51:17, you see that contrition is shown by obedience. The way of King Saul was the way of disobedience. Though in some ways it seems he tried to obey God, his obedience was incomplete. Obeying the voice of God was not the most important thing to Saul. He was as prone to substitute his own opinion for the word of the Lord as he was to obey it, and this proved to be his downfall. It also serves to highlight the primary difference between Saul and David. We see in David’s life many failures which were as bad or worse than those of Saul—or so it seems from our perspective. But the key to understanding Saul’s rejection and David’s acceptance with God lies in the desire of their hearts. Saul was self-centered while David—weak though he was—was God-centered. David was a man of obedience and Saul was not. We read in 1 Samuel 15 how Saul’s self-centeredness manifested itself in incomplete obedience. This was the occasion of his rejection by God in which Saul’s anointing was revoked and given to another. God had instructed the king to “utterly destroy” every living thing among the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:3). The instructions to which God held Saul accountable were clearly given and could not be misunderstood. Saul, however, thought that his way was better and made more sense than did God’s. “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.” (1 Sam. 15:9, NIV). This disobedience was viewed by God with such abhorrence that he regretted making Saul king. When Saul tried to explain that he was only going according to common sense, God answered with these words: “To obey is better than to sacrifice.” God would rather have us obey Him than to devise some method of pleasing Him based on our own subjective reasoning. The only way to know what pleases God is by what He tells us. Without obedience, we say to God that we know more than He does. We affirm by our actions that we don’t believe in Him as the Sovereign Lord of the universe. Obedience is always better than any human substitution. Though it may make more sense to you, don’t substitute your way for God’s way (Jer. 10:23; Matt. 15:1-9). Don’t substitute a human creed—written or unwritten—for the word of God. Don’t substitute a “sinner’s prayer” for believer’s baptism (Acts 22:16). Don’t substitute religious rituals and rules for faith-prompted obedience (Rom. 6:16-18). Ask only what pleases the Lord when it comes to matters of faith, worship and service. Continue to grow in your obedience to God. Let His directives permeate every area of your life. Our lives must be characterized by on-going obedience if our claim to faith is to be authentic. Jesus is still “the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.” (Heb. 5:9). Learn this lesson positively from Abraham and David, and negatively from Saul. Don’t wait until you are rejected by God to learn that obedience really is essential. Bryan Dunaway Grace and Peace Ministries www.gandpministries.org

One verse that many religionists seem to have forgotten about is this one from the marvelous Epistle of Hebrews: “And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb 5:9). I say that because many Bible teachers affirm that our obedience to Christ has nothing to do with our salvation. They have an understanding of “faith” which does not include obedience, and so, since we are “saved by faith,” our obedience can have nothing whatsoever to do with our salvation. When we look at the life of a man like Abraham, we see that this idea will not hold up under careful scrutiny.

When Bible students think of Abraham, the great patriarch of antiquity, the first thing they usually contemplate is the unique faith of this man. Indeed, Abraham was and is one of the greatest examples of genuine faith in the Lord that humanity has ever witnessed. But the greatest evidence of Abraham’s faith—a point which we must not lose sight of—was his (generally) unwavering obedience to God. The biblical record affirms that this man of faith was also a man of obedience, for obedience is something to which genuine faith will always lead. When Abraham was called by God, Abraham responded. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” (Heb. 11:8). Significant it is that the Hebrew writer affirms it was “by faith” that Abraham “obeyed.”

Obedience, to some who proclaim loudly that they have faith in their hearts, has become a kind of theological obsenity. Some simply do not want the responsibility that goes with an acknowledgment of God’s authority over their lives. Conforming their manner of life to an outside voice of authority seems outdated. They seem to want to ignore the fact that Scripture still speaks an authoritative word, and will continue to do so. It is not spiritually “backward” to admonish strict adherence to God’s precepts. Those who love God will see the evidence of such love in their own willingness to do what He tells them.

Others love to talk about the “necessity of obedience” but somehow never get down to actually practicing it. These individuals love sermons extolling the theme, and a dazzling verbal display of the quotation of “obedience verses” is nothing short of music to their ears. But for some reason it remains an abstract concept, with practical application conspicuous by its absence. When we think of obedience, we must learn to think concretely. What does Scripture tell me to do? Am I doing it? These are important questions.

The Bible teaches that those who love God—those who have “faith” in God—will obey whatever God commands. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). “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.” (1 John 2:3-5). His commandments are contained in His word—the New Testament—and if we have faith in Christ we will obey them.

We must remember, in preaching and teaching the word of God, that it is not our word. God’s commandments are not up for discussion. “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly, ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.’”

(Acts 13:46, NIV). There is only one way to speak the word of God, and that is the way Paul and Barnabas did: boldly. We have nothing to apologize for when we proclaim God’s way of salvation through Christ. It is not our word to alter or water down—nor should we apologize for it. This is the word of God which we speak. Man’s words are often worth rejecting, because some of them are good and true and some of them aren’t. But with God, every word that comes forth from His mouth is true. Therefore, we can have boldness and confidence in passing that word along to others.

We must tell others that Christ gives eternal salvation only to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9). Many in our religious culture do not want to hear that message, because they have imbibed a doctrine of salvation by “faith alone” that does not include the Bible’s teachings about obedience. But again, this is God’s word we are dealing with. Those who love God will humble themselves, believe what He says and do what He bids.

The key to following God in obedience is humility. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6). The word of Scripture calls us to a life of humility. The only one that God will accept and use is the one who is lowly before Him. David knew that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17, NKJV). The call to be humble may well be the hardest command in the Bible. There is no call of God that is more contrary to our selfish natures than this one.

It is important, however, that we understand the paramount importance of humility, for the testimony of Scripture throughout is that God, as James says, “resists the proud.” You cannot be the friend of God if you are arrogant or haughty or full of pride. God will resist you and His presence will be taken from you. Why is this so? Because there can be only one “God” in the relationship. Only one can be the focus of attention, the object of desire, and this must be God. The “spotlight” must be on Him. He must get the glory. He is God and I am the sinner. Pride keeps self in that central position of our lives that only God should occupy.

Humility, then, is far more than just one of many “Christian graces.” It is actually the key to having God in your life at all. That is, humility is the only attitude that makes appropriate room for God in our lives. Without it, God will go somewhere else.

Because He is God and we are not, He makes the rules. We are to mold our hearts and wills after His, not try to fashion Him according to our will. Abraham was a man of obedience and faith because Abraham was a man of humility before God. Remember the Psalmist’s words: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17, NKJV). Since God is seeking a “broken spirit” and a “contrite heart,” it would do us well to observe that such is manifested by obedience. When we choose God’s way over our own, then we are exhibiting a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

When King Saul disobeyed the clear instruction of God, the word of the Lord came to him: “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.” (1 Sam 15:22, NIV). When you compare the word of God here to David’s words in Psalm 51:17, you see that contrition is shown by obedience.

The way of King Saul was the way of disobedience. Though in some ways it seems he tried to obey God, his obedience was incomplete. Obeying the voice of God was not the most important thing to Saul. He was as prone to substitute his own opinion for the word of the Lord as he was to obey it, and this proved to be his downfall. It also serves to highlight the primary difference between Saul and David. We see in David’s life many failures which were as bad or worse than those of Saul—or so it seems from our perspective. But the key to understanding Saul’s rejection and David’s acceptance with God lies in the desire of their hearts. Saul was self-centered while David—weak though he was—was God-centered. David was a man of obedience and Saul was not.

We read in 1 Samuel 15 how Saul’s self-centeredness manifested itself in incomplete obedience. This was the occasion of his rejection by God in which Saul’s anointing was revoked and given to another. God had instructed the king to “utterly destroy” every living thing among the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:3). The instructions to which God held Saul accountable were clearly given and could not be misunderstood. Saul, however, thought that his way was better and made more sense than did God’s. “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.” (1 Sam. 15:9, NIV). This disobedience was viewed by God with such abhorrence that he regretted making Saul king. When Saul tried to explain that he was only going according to common sense, God answered with these words: “To obey is better than to sacrifice.”

God would rather have us obey Him than to devise some method of pleasing Him based on our own subjective reasoning. The only way to know what pleases God is by what He tells us. Without obedience, we say to God that we know more than He does. We affirm by our actions that we don’t believe in Him as the Sovereign Lord of the universe. Obedience is always better than any human substitution.

Though it may make more sense to you, don’t substitute your way for God’s way (Jer. 10:23; Matt. 15:1-9). Don’t substitute a human creed—written or unwritten—for the word of God. Don’t substitute a “sinner’s prayer” for believer’s baptism (Acts 22:16). Don’t substitute religious rituals and rules for faith-prompted obedience (Rom. 6:16-18). Ask only what pleases the Lord when it comes to matters of faith, worship and service.

Continue to grow in your obedience to God. Let His directives permeate every area of your life. Our lives must be characterized by on-going obedience if our claim to faith is to be authentic. Jesus is still “the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.” (Heb. 5:9). Learn this lesson positively from Abraham and David, and negatively from Saul. Don’t wait until you are rejected by God to learn that obedience really is essential.

Bryan Dunaway

Grace and Peace Ministries