« Love, Conviction, and Hope | Main | As Unto The Lord »
What Is Obedience?
By Brian | May 20, 2008
was poking around a bit tonight on NET (bible.org) and found something very interesting. I don’t typically place much stock in “wordology” but sometimes word games send us in interesting directions. In this case I found out that the term “truth” is used in the New Testamant one hundred seventy four times, yet “obedience” is only mentioned eleven times. I thought this was an interesting occurrence, so I decided to dig a little deeper.
Interestingly enough the term obedience used in the New Testament is consistantly used to describe two things. The first is obedience in refraining from sin. The second is obedience in confessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In not one verse can I find any reference to absolute obedience to leadership of any kind. We are used to a system of absolute authority- in our government, our employers, and our churches. But in the Bible the only absolute authority is God.
Of course, there is this verse in Hebrews:
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. - Hebrews 13:17
This verse has been used to support two erroneous beliefs. The first is that you must obey your leadership and submit to them in all things. The second has been taken to such extremes as to imply that a follower is not accountable for what they do - provided their leadership have told them to do it. Both these views are inherently false.
Taking the last first, it’s clear in Romans 14:12 that we are all accountable.
Consequently, each of us will give an account of himself to God. - Romans 14:12
Obviously the “following our leadership” arguement didn’t work too well at Nuremberg. It’s clearly not going to be of a lot of benefit in the supreme judgement. We are accountable!
In taking the last first we find that obeying your leaders and submitting to their authority is not a catch all excuse on the day of judgment. At the end of our days we cannot say, well they made me do it. Are we washed in the blood of Christ? Hopefully yes - but being born again does not excuse either a lack of obedience or blindlessly following. We are accountable!
So what is obedience to God? Following the Word, the Law, the written record of His existance. Following the example that He has set forth. Fear God - not man. Place no idols between yourself and Him. Serve with abandon. Love good and hate evil. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.