Obedience is an acts of showing respect and being submissive to another person. Obedience stands for the ability to willingly submit or comply or follow instructions or order.
Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous
Obedience is at the center of man's problem and God's solution. Redemption is for every man in Christ. Redemption that is necessary because of man's disobedience is possible through Christ's obedience.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments
Obedience is an attitude of heart towards a higher authority. As believers of Christ, the higher authority is God.
Obedience and Conformity
Obedience and Conformity are two different things. Obedience is an attitude of heart, and it is in total submission, while Conformity deals with the outside of a man. People conforms to laws outwardly in fear of retaliation, this attitude is not seen as obedience. Conformity to a law is a means of avoiding punishment, as such the benefits of obedience which are peace, joy and grace is not there.
Obedience and Perfection
Hebrews 5:1-10 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec
Christ is an example of Obedience and Perfection. Christ is not only a priest, He is a son and also the king of the world, Christ was first appointed as a son, then as priest. Even though Christ is a son, it remains that perfection be acquired through obedience. Christ suffering started on the day of His incarnation at the cross, His love for humanity makes Him forsook His divine privileges and suffered for the sins of humanity. The manner in which Christ obtained His perfection becomes an example which many Christians will receive their perfection.
Mark 8:34-35 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it
Christ is the model of obedience by perfection. After His attitude of perfect obedience, God perfected Him by resurrecting Him from death.
Obedience must be Total not Partial
1 Samuel 15:8-9 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly
In the above scripture, Saul was partial in his obedience to God's commandment by sparing Agag and the best of sheep etc, as a result of his partial obedience which is disobedience, Saul lost his crown and his glory.
If a person do not follow the principle of obedience, the person will suffer ridicule and backwardness.
Obedience is better than sacrifice
May the grace of God be sufficient unto us all to obey God and His commandments. Amen!!!
