There is much to be learned about obedience from a
study of its antonym…DIS-obedience. There is also a common trait between the
two. Think about this very simple axiom: 'DIS-OBEY' is the opposite of OBEY.
Yet with either word, something must exist that can be OBEYED or NOT OBEYED.
What would that be? It can only be a precept or command.
The Bible declares that sin is committed in one of
the following ways:
Romans 14:23 - to act without faith in
regard to what God commanded.
James 4:17 - to know to obey God, but
not do so.
1 John 3:4 - to transgress a law of
God.
1 John 5:17 - by wrong-doing
(unrighteousness).
The only conclusion that can be drawn
from these statements is that sin is disobedience, and disobedience is either
going beyond or falling short in regard to what God has spoken. All humanity is under the same obligation in regard to what God
has commanded (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Since sin is disobedience to a precept
or command from God, forgiveness for sin would naturally come by obedience to
God’s commands. If not, why not? Jesus stated that, in teaching the commands of
God, He was speaking 'words' of eternal life, yet those words demand a response
which involves turning from DIS-obedience to obedience.
Unrighteous living must be repented of
and replaced by righteous living. The words Jesus spoke open our understanding
to our plight because of our sin (John
15:22). Those words also contain specific commands that, if followed hold
the promise of eternal life (John 12:49;
Romans 6:23; Hebrews 5:9).
God’s commands are the criteria for
revealing who belongs to Him and who belongs to Satan. Those who love, respect,
and trust in His words receive spiritual blessings when they obey Christ’s
commands (Hebrews 5:9). Those who
hate Him refuse to obey those commands. It is in this way that God “put” (i.e.,
purposed) enmity to come
between the seed of woman and the seed of Satan. Enmity is hatred. This hatred is
over a "thus saith the Lord".
It always has been and it always will be. This hatred is not mutual, rather it
is from those who don’t want to acknowledge Christ's authority to command their
lives toward those who DO. As Jesus was persecuted, so also will His followers
be (John 15:20; Matthew 5:10).
Obedience is
the only response to a command that expresses love for the one who loved in
giving the command. Remember John 3:16
tells us that “God so loved…that He
gave…”. Because of God’s love for man, it was the will of the Father to
send His Son to bear our sin. Jesus loved us, but He loved His Father first.
His love for His Father was why He obeyed the command of the Father. John 14:31 states, “But that the world
may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment,
even so I do.”
We are not sinners because we inherited
another's disobedience but because of our own disobedience. Death, the
consequence for disobedience, has passed on to us. “Just as through one man sin entered into the world,
and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). In Romans 5:18, we are told that
“One transgression resulted in condemnation
passing to all”. But notice that the reason condemnation passed to
all was not because of that one transgression, but because “all have sinned” (Romans
3:23).
Romans 5:18 goes on to explain that Jesus’ one act of
righteousness resulted in “JUSTIFICATION OF
LIFE TO ALL MEN”. It was this justification that passed; not Jesus’ act of righteousness.
What was Jesus’ righteousness? Was it not His obedience to the Father’s will? Obedience
pleases the Father (John 8:29). His
love for His Father is seen in His willingness to be obedient even unto death (Hebrews 5:8). Jesus said in John 10:17-18, “the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it
again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have
authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
The consequence for sin that rightfully came upon Adam, will
rightfully come to us, NOT BECAUSE OF ADAM’S SIN, BUT BECAUSE WE ALL SIN (Romans 5:14). Similarly, Jesus'
obedience did not pass on to us any more than Satan's sin, or Adam's sin passed
on to us. The WORD is what will continue. It will never pass away, but stand
forever (Luke 21:33; Isaiah 40:8).
We will be judged by those words (John
12:48).
Jesus’ obedience to His Father, does
not guarantee my obedience. Neither does believing in His obedience, mean that
I am forgiven. I must follow His example of obedience to His Father and obey
Him. He WILLINGLY obeyed. So must I. In following His example, I will give up
my life for Him, as He did for me. Whereas He gave up glory and riches (John 17:5; 2 Corinthians 8:9); I am to
give up is my life of sin. Jesus died FOR my sin. I must die TO my own sin.
Until I do, I am yet in my sin. As Peter stated, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might
die to sin and live to righteousness." (1 Peter 2:24).
God’s righteousness is revealed in the
gospel (Romans 1:17). Righteousness is
imputed to the obedient. (Deuteronomy
6:24-25). “What
shall the end be of them that obey not…” (2 Thessalonians 1:8)?
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