A Primer on Obedience (Part 7): Obedience to God and Ministry in the Church

The Church is Commanded to Make Disciples, Teaching Them to Observe All That Christ Commanded

Broadening our view now to the corporate church, the command to it by our Lord mirrors and facilitates God's purpose in individuals with regards to obedience to His commandments. Whatever the church is doing, it must do this:

Train disciples to obey the commandments of Christ.

This is seen in the Great Commission as follows:

"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

It is not a coincidence that Jesus begins the Great Commission with a statement of His authority - meaning that He has both the right and authority to charge us to do what He desires. He has all authority in heaven and on earth to commission us (command us really) to make and train disciples to obey Him. This is a non-negotiable duty of the church of Jesus Christ. If it is not training disciples to obey God's commandments, it is failing in one of the main duties and responsibilities it has in Christ.

And the thing that we are to train disciples to do is to obey the commandments of God. The phrase that Matthew uses is "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." The word, "observe" is a Greek word which is like unto a sentry, standing on a guard tower watching over it to make sure nothing escapes.

The church should train disciples (believers in its midst) to watch over their lives so that their lives do not go beyond what God has commanded. In other words, the church should be training disciples to do exactly what God commands in His word.

What our Lord is talking about here is not just doctrine, but behavior. Observation of God's commandments means doing them, not just knowing what they are in His word. It is not enough to know what we are supposed to do. We are to be trained to actually do what it says.

Now I should define what I mean by "church" in this context. I am not referring to the institution of the church, with all its structure and format. Rather, I am referring to its members. The duty is not laid upon the structure or institution of the church, or even solely upon its pastors. It is the duty of the living, breathing church itself - its members.

Jesus may have taught the multitudes (which is analogous to sermons preached by pastors) but that is not how He trained disciples. Similarly, the duty to train disciples to obey Christ cannot be met by a few elders in a congregation. This will be evident as we examine this further.

We, meaning we as individual believers, should desire two things with regards to our Lord's command in Matthew 28. First, we should desire to observe the commandments of God ourselves. If God wants the church to train disciples to obey Him, then as a disciple, I should desire to obey Him too. If I don't know what or how to obey Christ in a given area, I should be seeking out someone who can train me.

Second, we should desire to train others to obey Him. This is an essential part of the Great Commission. I should desire to see God glorified in others via their obedience to His word. And I should do whatever I can to help them to do it. My training of them is not only teaching them what God commands, but showing them how to obey it.

There is a very simple formula in the Bible, which if understood and applied, would set the church on a course intended by God. It is this:

God commanded us in the church to train others to obey His commandments. If God commands a disciple to do "x," than we should train that disciple to do "x." It really is that simple. Train the disciple to obey what God commands him to do.

If we are not purposefully training that disciple to do "x" (whatever it is God commanded him to do) then we are not obeying the Great Commission regardless of how many activities we have in the church. Training disciples to do exactly what God commands is the highest of priorities in God's eyes (or He would not have commanded us to do so). It must be ours as well.

Here is an example. God commands husbands to love their wives. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25) That is one "x" that disciples who are husbands are commanded to do. Since we are called to train disciples to obey God's commandments and God commands husbands to love their wives, then the church should be training husbands to love their wives. See how this works?

Here is another example. Concerning the worship of Christ, we are commanded in God's word to enter into that prepared in heart, mind and action. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" (Psalm 100:4) Now this isn't a suggestion by our Lord. It is the way that we should enter into the worship of Christ. We should arrive already filled with the word of God, so much so that we are ready to express out (like an orange filled with juice) our praise and thanksgiving to God. As disciples are commanded by God to do this, the church should be training disciples, not only that they should be doing it, but how to do it as well.

We can look to an example of this formula applied in Scripture. In Titus 2:3, Paul writes, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." (Titus 2:3-5)

What does God command disciples (who are women) to do? They are to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled etc... What is the church to teach (and train) them to do? The answer is, "Love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled etc... What God commands disciples to do, we (meaning members of the church) should be training them to do.

Now disciples of Christ are not going to learn how to obey Christ on their own. If this were God's plan, He would not have commanded us to train others ourselves. God intends on using the older women in the church to train the younger ones to obey Him.

Notice that the instruction comes from those who are "older women," which not only means in age but in maturity as well. Hardly could an older woman, who is an infant in Christ, be the trainer of others.

We see in this the biblical formula put into practice. Those who are mature, and who know WHAT and HOW to do God's commandments, are to train those who are immature and don't know what and how to them.

It is amazing frankly that the world already understands this principle in abundance. Consider any field of labor that requires any amount of knowledge. Law, carpentry, plumbing, flight, medicine, and more all put this principle into practice. The apprentice might learn doctrine in the classroom, but he learns how to do the job in practice, in their residency. No good law firm, for instance, would ever think of putting a brand new lawyer into trial. There is too much for him to learn to do. Instead, he is trained over a period of years until he is ready to do what the law firm requires. So it is with the church of God. It's disciples (which literally means "pupils") must learn to do the commandments of God.

A Primer on Obedience (Part 6): The Gracious Desire for Obedience

Since it is God's Priority and Purpose to Make Us Walk in His Commandments, It Should be Ours as Well

We've seen that God intends on putting His laws in our hearts and causing us to walk in them. As this is true, our response should be to desire to walk in them ourselves. 

If you examine the whole of Scripture on this topic, you will find one theme - the believer in Christ wants to obey Christ. Nowhere is this truth more openly stated than in Psalm 119. In this Psalm, (176 verses in all) the psalmist declares the rightness of God's commandments and his desire to walk in them. Verse after glorious verse extol the greatness of His laws and statutes and His prayer to God that he have the delight of doing them. This chapter, the longest one in Scripture, stands as a bulwark against those who would claim that obedience to God's laws are not necessary to the believer.

Consider just a few verses from this Psalm as evidence of the desire of the psalmist to obey God by grace. 

"With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." (Psalm 119:10)

"Blessed art thou, O Lord : teach me thy statutes." (Psalm 119:12)

"Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word."  (Psalm 119:17)

"Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously." (Psalm 119:29)

If we want to be mature in our thinking in this area, we should head to this psalm and pray to God that He lay these same desires upon our hearts. 

"Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!" (Psalm 119:1-8)

Many today have a very muddy understanding of the relationship between the commandments of God and believers. You will often hear the expression, "I am under grace and am not under the Law," meaning that the commandments of God do not apply to them. 

This undoubtedly is true as Paul teaches this in Galatians and Romans. "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God." (Galatians 2:19) But Paul is referring to the Law as it pertains to "righteousness," or the means of being and becoming righteous in God's eyes. He is not referring to how we should live as those who are already righteous by faith in Christ. He continues in Galatians, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2:21)

We are dead to the law of God, with regards to righteousness, but not in terms of how we ought to live as those made righteous by faith. 

We rest upon the completed work of Christ for righteousness, justification and salvation, and we pray for the grace of God to walk in His commandments. This is the will of God in us, namely that we believe in Him and obey Him. "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

As believers, we want to be in agreement with God from the heart. We want to have God's priorities as our priorities. Since it is His priority that we, as His children, obey Him, let us have that priority as well. 

Let us agree with the psalmist, who wrote, "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." (Psalm 119:32)

In Part 7 of the series, "A Primer on Obedience" we examine the effect these truths should have on ministry in the church. Where should our priorities be with regards to obeying God and training others to do so. The word of God is not unclear on this. Visit again tomorrow to see what God says about what our priorities should be with regards to His commandments.

A Primer on Obedience (Part 5): Obedience to God's Commandments is Evidence of Genuine Faith in Christ

Yesterday, in Part 4 of this series, we examined the truth that it is better to obey than to sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) It is better to do what God's word says over what we may prefer doing. Today, we examine the truth that faith in Christ will manifest itself in obedience to the commandments of God. The same grace that saved us will produce obedience to God's word in us. Read on to find out why this is so and why obedience to God should be a priority in our lives.

Obedience to God's Commandments is Evidence of Genuine Faith in Christ

If we truly believe in Christ, this is a good thing that will result in our salvation. But the same faith that saves us will produce in us obedience to God's commands - not perfectly, but definitely. 

Jesus taught this plainly. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 13:14) If we say that we love Jesus, our love for Him will be proven by our obedience to Him. Obedience to God's word is evidence of our love for Him. Genuine love for our Lord will manifest itself in a genuinie love to do what He commands us to do in His word. 

Now why would our Lord say this? Why would He make the connection between love and obedience?  Simply because the same grace of God that was employed the moment we came to faith in Christ, is employed when we walk according to His commandments.  In both cases it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13) We have already seen in this short series how it was God's plan to put His laws into our hearts and cause us to walk in them (Please see Part 2).  "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:27) [As an aside, the point here is not that we become "obedience cops," making sure others obey our Lord, but rather that we seek obedience in our own lives.]

The apostle John was a little more direct, but no less truthful. Obedience to Christ is the evidence that we believe in Him, and proves the genuineness of our faith. "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." (1 John 2:3-6)

Faith in Christ and obedience to Christ are so closely connected that they appear to be inseparable. This is the point James is making when he writes that Abraham was justified (made not guilty) by works. He wasn't refuting Paul's teaching on justification by faith alone in Galatians and Romans, but rather that it is so certain that faith will produce obedience to God that the works themselves prove the faith that justifies. 

"But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as teh body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."  (James 2:18-26) 

The reality of the relationship between faith and obedience being so closely connected ought to give us pause in our walk with Christ. If God's grace produced faith in us, it should be producing a heart that longs to obey God, to obey what He actually says in His word. We should see God's gracious work in us with regards to obedience too. 

The Psalmist knew this and prayed thusly, "Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules." (Psalm 119:5-7)

He knows that obedience should be in His life. And he also knows from whom it will come - God Himself! He is not about to (and we are not about to) begin obeying God in the flesh, by his own strength apart from the grace of God. He knows that he should be seeking the grace of God in his life to do this. We should too!

Knowing the relationship between faith and obedience, knowing their inseparable bond, knowing the grace of God produces both, we should imitate the psalmist above by fixing our eyes on all God's commandments, with an earnest desire to walk in them, hoping for and seeking the grace and power of God to do so. 

Tomorrow, in Part 6 of the series, A Primer on Obedience, we will examine the truth that since walking in obedience to God's commandments is God's priority and purpose in us, it should be a priority and purpose in us as well. Please visit tomorrow as we continue this series on a very important aspect of our relationship with God.

A Primer on Obedience (Part 4): It is Better to Obey Than Sacrifice

It is Better to Obey than to Sacrifice


Before we examine today's topic, I would like to make one more reference to yesterday's. Yesterday, we addressed the fact that what God wants us to do is what He expressly states in His word. His commandments to us as given in His word, must be a higher priority than anything else we might do in the name of our Lord. 


Evidently, this is not a new issue. Thomas Watson, in his work, "The Ten Commandments," had this to say, 


"What is the rule of obedience?
The written word. That is proper obedience which the word requires. Our obedience must correspond to what the word requires, as a copy to the original. To seem to be zealous, if it be not according to the word, is not obedience, but will-worship." 


It is in our nature to do our own thing, to go our own way. But this is not God's way. God's way is for us to go His way, to do what He wants and to deny ourselves. This is especially true in the area of obedience. 


Now on to today's topic, which is the principle that it is better to obey than to sacrifice. As we will see, it relates very much to yesterday's topic.


Very similar to the above principle is this one. God desires obedience over sacrifice. In this context He is not referring to obedience over worship. Rather, He is speaking of obedience over doing something else we'd rather do, obedience to what He commands over some other activity, even though that may be good in our own eyes.


One of the best examples in Scripture of this principle is found in Saul. In 1 Samuel 15, God commands Saul to attack and kill the Amalekites. "Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." (1 Samuel 15:3)


Instead of doing that, Saul spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites and the choicest of animals. When he returned with the king and the animals, he made this starling statement, "And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD." (1 Samuel 15:13) 


When challenged by Samuel (who heard the bleating of the sheep), Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." (1 Samuel 15:15) In other words, what they were doing was good (in their view) because they were doing a good thing (sacrificing to the Lord).


Being very displeased, Samuel responded thusly, "And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22) The only possible answer to Samuel's question above is "no." God delights in obedience to His commandments, even over other things we could be doing which may be good in and of themselves. 


David repeats this truth in Psalm 40:7-9 as follows:


"In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." 


God takes delight in us, when we take delight in doing His will. And the expression of His will is found for us in the Scriptures, via His commandments, His statutes, His righteous laws. When we delight in them and in doing them, God delights in us. 


Solomon also understood this, writing in Proverbs, "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3) 


Now we will address the fact that obedience is a grace of God, but for today's topic, we should understand that Israel was rebuked for not obeying the Lord and for following after their own desires. Notice that they "... walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts," and not according to the commandments of God.


"For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward."  (Jeremiah 7:22-24)


The scribe who answered Jesus, saying, "And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." was heralded by Christ as one who was "not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12:33)


We must be careful to make sure that what we are doing as Christians adheres to what God commandeds us to do in His word, not necessarily what we may prefer doing. There are many good things we can be doing, but they must never be in place of what He commands us to do.


And the priority for God, with regards to how we should live our lives as believers, is to obey His commandments. This we do, not to be righteous, to be justified or to be saved (as we have all those by our faith in Christ alone). Rather, obedience to His word, what He specifically commands, is evidence of our faith and love for Him.


Our priority in life as believers should be His priority - namely doing what He commands, not through grumbling or complaining, but joyfully as His loving children.  Consider your own life and ask this question, "Am I concerned about doing what God specifically commands me to do in His word, or am I about doing what I would rather do in His kingdom, whether His word calls for it or not?"


Prayerfully consider this in light of the priority God places upon His commandments.


Tomorrow, in Part 5, we will examine the truth that obedience to God's commands is evidence that our faith in Him is genuine. Come back tomorrow for this interesting and necessary look at this topic. You will be surprised at how closely these two (faith and obedience) are from God's perspective.