COMMENTARY:
THOUGHTS ON OBEDIENCE
VineLife Network, Inc.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
At a meeting recently a number of us were discussing various issues that we felt were pertinent to the times in which we live. I won’t try to recall all that was shared, but essentially we were discussing things that we felt God was revealing to us. The topic moved to discipleship. I mentioned that I had felt impressed by the Lord that we should encourage people to focus on obedience regarding the commands of Christ they already knew rather than just feeding them more intellectual knowledge about God. A young man 25 years my junior became somewhat agitated and said something to the effect of, “It is alright for people your age to talk about obedience (I will be 70 this year)…, but that is not where my generation comes from. We are not into obedience. I don’t even obey God!” He then proceeded to attack the very principle of obedience and summed it up by saying, “I am into ‘responding’ to the commands of Christ, not obeying. I reject the thought of obedience.”
Another elder brother spoke up, “You know, Jesus said, ‘If you love me you will obey my commandments.’ What do you do with that?” There was only awkward silence from the young man.
I have thought about that exchange a lot since that meeting and have asked myself the question, “Is this what the Church’s efforts regarding the command to, ‘Go and make disciples’ have produced? Why was that young man so angry and why did he speak so arrogantly about willful disobedience of God?” Perhaps his anger is anchored in our proud traditions of independence, political correctness, no absolutes and the myriad of other deceptive “norms” that have been embraced by the Church in America. Rather than discipleship, most churches concentrate on their ABC’s: Attendance, Buildings, and Collections. This focus may produce good “church members” but it doesn’t produce disciples of Jesus! As a matter of fact, compromising Kingdom principles to grow a larger congregation may well be the seedbed that produced this devastating harvest of rebellion and rejection of the absolutes of the Kingdom of God in our younger generations. Lord, help us to come to a place of repentance! Help us to learn and walk in obedience! Mold us into true disciples of Jesus!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE OBEDIENT?
Obedient = Submissive to the command or restraint of authority in our life. The following questions may help you to get a better handle on this issue of authority and obedience.
- Who is in authority in your life?
- Were your parents authority figures in your childhood?
- How did you reflect to them that they were in authority?
- To whom are you a person in authority?
- Can they trust and obey what you tell them?
- Are you a disciple of Jesus?
- How do you measure your level of discipleship to Jesus?
- Do you agree with the above definition of being obedient?
- Is there a difference between being submissive and being obedient?
- Can you have the act of obedience without the attitude of submissiveness?
- If so, explain what you mean and give an example.
- Does love enable us to be both submissive and obedient?
- Why should you be obedient to God?
- Do you think that disobedience to the commands of Christ cause you to plateau and regress in your Christian walk?
- Should you expect to receive additional revelation when you do not walk in obedience to that which you have already received?
- Is there a correlation between blessing and obedience?
- Why would you be disobedient to the commands of Christ?
- Is obedience to Christ subjective?
- How have you taught obedience to your children?
- Were they taught to be obedient to the commands of Christ?
This subject is one that should be addressed by all Christians. However, I especially
exhort you who have walked away from the institutional church and are seeking
to fill the void you may have experienced regarding an intimate walk with Jesus,
to repent from any and all disobedience! I will assure you that changing the meeting
place from edifice to home will do nothing to resolve the conflict and frustration
within you, BUT…, repentance and obedience to Christ will!
David L. Shirkey
