God's Exquisite Garden OBEDIENCE Print version The meaning of the word obedient is dutifully complying with the commands, orders,or instructions of one in authority. Obedience is the act or practice of being obedient. We read in Deuteronomy 13:4," You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. " We are commanded to keep the commands of God. Jeremiah 7:23," But this is what I commanded them, saying, ' Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'" An example of obedience that we can easily relate to is parents instructing their children as to what they should do. When we instruct our children, we are not happy when they only obey a portion of our commands. We want our children to obey all that we tell them. There are many Biblical examples of obedience to the will of God. We read in Genesis 6:22," Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded Him, so He did." "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. " Hebrews 11:8 In the Old Testament, we are told of the Kings of the United Kingdom and the Divided Kingdom. Some obeyed God and some were disobedient. I Kings 15:11," Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David. " But we read in I Kings 13:33," After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. " In the New Testament, we are told of Zacharias and Elizabeth and their righteous lives. " And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. " Luke 1:6 God chose them to be the parents of the prophet John who would prepare the people for the coming of Christ. We are to obey Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for us. In His sacrificial suffering and death we have hope of a life with God after our death upon this earth. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. John 14:21 (NKJV) For God so loved this world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16(NKJV) Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, Romans 1:5(NKJV) But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. Romans 6:17(NKJV) Our obedience to God is not forced, it is spontaneously offered. Obedience keeps our connection with God free and open. We are not to listen to any of Satan's temptations. It is in our best interest to obey God. God wants us to keep His commands, while reminding us that obeying Him is not beyond our reach. Obeying them is reasonable, and beneficial. The hardest part of obeying the laws of God is simply deciding to begin now. We read in Acts 5:29," But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ' We ought to obey God rather than man. '" Obedience to God is pleasing to him. Even if your accomplishments do not meet the world's standards, you are successful in God's "eyes” and His opinion lasts forever. " For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. " Romans 5:19 Real freedom is achieved through obedience to God. The only way to comprehend the Bible is to know God's will. Our obedience to Him will be tested. It will also be tried by deceptive means. In counteracting these pressures, we need to lean upon God. When we are living for Him, He will give us the strength to withstand any burdens or hardships, and the wisdom to realize any deception. Larger image We read in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14," Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." Discussion and study questions (1) How is obedience to God real freedom? (2 ) In what ways is our obedience challenged? Lookup a word or passage in the Bible Include this form on your page Copyright 2007 Linda Lawrence Lessons in this Series About The Author Print Version of All Lessons Lesson 1 Attitude Lesson 2 The Mind of Christ Lesson 3 Imitate Christ Lesson 4 Communication Lesson 5 Taming the Tongue Lesson 6 Our Legacy Lesson 7 Compassion Lesson 8 Confidence Lesson 9 Courage Lesson 10 Gossip Lesson 11 Honesty Lesson 12 Profanity Lesson 13 Improper Language . . Lesson 14 Faith Lesson 15 Encouragement Lesson 16 Humility Lesson 17 Assurance Lesson 18 Perseverance Lesson 19 Strength to Endure Suffering Lesson 20 Grieve Not The Spirit Lesson 21 Understanding Lesson 22 Knowledge Lesson 23 Wisdom Lesson 24 Purity in Heart Lesson 25 Trust Lesson 26 Obedience . . Lesson 27 Happiness Lesson 28 Contentment Lesson 29 Optimism Lesson 30 Inner Peace Lesson 31 Self-Control Lesson 32 Our Example Lesson 33 Patience Lesson 34 Concern Lesson 35 Testing Of Our Faith Lesson 36 Mercy Lesson 37 Grace Lesson 38 Problems Concerning Failure Lesson 39 Practical Results . . Lesson 40 Good Works Lesson 41 Women Teachers in Bible Times Lesson 42 Women Teachers Today Lesson 43 Having Good Friends Lesson 44 Choosing a Husband Lesson 45 Choosing a Wife Lesson 46 The Exemplary Daughter Part 1 Lesson 47 The Exemplary Daughter Part 2 Lesson 48 The Ideal Mother Part 1 Lesson 49 The Ideal Mother Part 2 Lesson 50 The Home As God Would Have It Part 1 Lesson 51 The Home As God Would Have It Part 2 Lesson 52 Impurity, . . Lesson 53 Marriage As God Would Have It Part 1 Lesson 54 Marriage As God Would Have It Part 2 Lesson 55 The Virtuous Woman Part 1 Lesson 56 The Virtuous Woman Part 2 Lesson 57 The Virtuous Woman Part 3 Lesson 58 Love Lesson 59 Morality Lesson 60 Pride & Haughtiness Lesson 61 Kindness Lesson 62 Respect Lesson 63 Modesty Lesson 64 Lying Lesson 65 Lewdness . . Lesson 66 Incomprehensible God Lesson 67 Unsearchable Riches Lesson 68 Infinite God Lesson 69 Holiness of God Lesson 70 Righteousness of God Lesson 71 Attendance Lesson 72 Omnipresence of God Lesson 73 Omniscience of God . .

Absolute Surrender By Andrew Murray / Moody Publishers How many times have you determined to dedicate every area of your life to God, only to feel defeated a few days later? In this classic collection of sermons, Murray clearly and simply describes surrender as the "blessing condition" of a victorious Christian life. You'll see how God accomplishes your surrender---and how he maintains it. 127 pages, softcover from Moody.