Obedience

I originally saw obedience as more of a law-based thing, but now I see obedience as following the call to love others which is quite contrary to blind law-following. Here are a bunch of verses that indicate the requirement to obey this command in spirit and truth as opposed to merely following rules and regulations.

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

[Proclaiming that one must do the will of God to enter the Kingdom and then calling those who did not ‘evildoers’ is pretty clear in expressing that the will of God is to not be a doer of evil. One must be obedient to righteousness and not merely believe. Those who believed they served God were cast aside since they never served love and righteousness.]

John 8:31-32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

[One must hold to the teaching to truly be a disciple. Thus, no one can be considered to be holding his teaching by merely believing or else there would be no such counterfeit of a disciple. Anyone professing to be a disciple would indeed be one. Clearly the obedience is to something more than merely faith.]

John 14:23-24

Jesus replied, “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. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

[It is rather imperative then to know what the teachings are in order to obey them.]

John 15:10

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

[One must keep the commands to remain in his love. The command is not to merely believe. The command is to love since this fulfills the entire law and the prophets.]

Luke 6:46-49

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.

[Even while Jesus yet taught there were a multitude of people who claimed to follow him yet did not follow his teachings. He also provided a rhetorical question regarding how terrible things will become once he is no longer around. The false Christians have never left. Following his teachings to love one another is the key to the new life in Jesus’ message.]

Luke 8:21

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

[Jesus only considers those who actually obey his command to love as his friends and family.]

Philippians 2:12

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

[Salvation is worked out. It is not merely asked for. And it comes through obedience to love.]