OBEDIENCE – act of obeying or complying with something, as a rule, order or law; being submissive to authority.

Obedience has three components: obedience, compliance, submissiveness – together they all mean yielding oneself to the will and guidance of another.

The word Obedient may be used when one yields dutifully to the restraints and commands of a superior person whose authority one recognises.

Compliant may be used when one consistently bends to the demands of another meekly and unquestionably.

Submissive may be used when one is subject and subservient to the control of another and humbly obedient to his orders through an innate incapacity to assert one’s own will.

Subservient – slavishly submissive in behaviour or attitude. Obsequious – too ready or eager to serve, please or obey. Innate – possessed at birth; natural; inborn. Belonging to or forming the essential character of someone or something.

The Obedience of Faith

Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (KJV)

The purpose of obedience is to please, or to bring pleasure to that which or to whom is the object of obedience. Obedience to God, Jehovah, is impossible without faith. In Heb 11:6 Paul writes And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)

A Lesson on Obedience.

Luke 17:5-10 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (NIV)

doulos - from deo, "to bind," "a slave," originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude, came also to mean "one who gives himself up to the will of another," e. g., 1 Cor. 7:23; Rom. 6:17,20, and became the most common and general word for "servant," as in Matt. 8:9, without any idea of bondage. In calling himself, however, a "bondslave of Jesus Christ," e. g., Rom. 1:1, the apostle Paul intimates (1) that he had been formerly a "bondslave" of Satan, and (2) that, having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master. See SERVANT.

The feminine, doule, signifies "a handmaid," Luke 1:38,48; Acts 2:18

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words) (Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The Greek word for Obedience is hupakoe which means attentive hearkening eg. (by implication)

Compliance or submission.

THE PRINCIPLE OF OBEDIENCE

There must be:-

1. An instruction Gen.2:17
2. Understanding of instructions and its consequences Gen.3:1-3
3. Choice Gen 3:6

There must be understanding of the instructions.

But understanding is determined by ability to decode the instructions. (This is one of the reasons that there are so many denominations).The Bible provides the necessary technology to decode its instructions.

Ps.12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (KJV)

Ps. 19:7-9 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

9. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (KJV)

Ps. 119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. (KJV)

Prov. 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (KJV)

Deut 4:1-2 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. (NIV)

Rev 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (NIV)

The Greek word for pure is neqe which means clean

Obviously adding or subtracting takes away from the purity of God’s Word.

Disobedience may come by (1) Ignorance of the instructions

In each example of disobedience choice is made.

Matt.21:28-31 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

31. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. (KJV)

Disobedience may come by misunderstanding the instructions due to altering of perceptions. This also determines choice. HOW one sees and WHAT one sees determines ones behaviour and therefore one’s obedience.

1 Sam 15:17-23 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (NIV)

Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (NIV)

It is:

A conscious act which is governed by the will.

The mind governs the will

The mind is influenced by external factors (strongest motivating factors)

The WILL is the mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses a course of action. It is a component of self-control.

The MIND is the seat of awareness, thought, volition and feeling. Volition is the exercise of the will.

CHARACTER – Moral or ethical strength.

To make the correct choice we need God’s influence

Phil 2:12-13 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,

13. for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (NIV)

Mark 4:24 "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you-- and even more. (NIV)

Luke 8:18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." (NIV)

Prov 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (NIV)

Phil 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. (NIV) Noble – exalted in rank, dignity, character or quality.

It is what is inside which determines what comes out

Ps 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV)

"Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny."

Thoughts come from within, they flow out from the character matrix..

Luke 9:47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, (KJV)

Acts 8:22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. (NIV)

Our actions/behaviour shows HOW and/or WHAT we are thinking.

Habits may have three main components (a) knowledge – what and why to (b) skill – how to (c) desire or motivation – want to.

To change habits requires self control in order to establish the bridge between stimulus and response.

bridge

STIMULUS \==\ RESPONSE

2 Cor. 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

5. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV)

Rom 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

5. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (NIV)

Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (KJV)

GENERAL SCRIPTURES ON OBEDIENCE

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (KJV)

1 Pet 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (KJV)

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (KJV)

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (KJV)

Exod 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. (KJV)

Exod 19:5-6 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (KJV)

Deut 11:26-28 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. (KJV)

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MICHAEL AUGUSTUS – JESHURUN BIBLE RESEARCH