When you hear the word “obedience,” what comes to mind? For many of us, it immediately triggers images of strict rules, heavy burdens, and a cosmic scoreboard keeping track of our every failure. We often treat the Christian life like a legal contract: If I do X, Y, and Z, God will be happy with me and let me into Heaven.
But what if we have it completely backward? What if biblical obedience isn’t about white-knuckling our way to perfection, but rather the natural overflow of a profoundly changed heart?
To understand what it truly means to obey the Lord, we need a better framework—one built on love, grace, and the indwelling life of Christ.
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The Ultimate Summary: Love
If you want to understand the entire framework of God’s commands, you only need to look at Jesus. When the Pharisees tried to trap Him by asking which commandment in the Law was the greatest, Jesus didn’t hand them a checklist. Instead, He summarized the entirety of the Old Testament in two profound statements:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Jesus shattered the legalistic mindset. He revealed that every act of obedience is, at its core, an act of love toward God or an act of love toward others.
Why do we tell the truth? Because we love God and our neighbor. Why do we flee immorality? Because we love God and honor the people He made. Obedience is not an arbitrary set of hoops God asks us to jump through; it is the practical, daily application of love. When we view obedience through the lens of love, it ceases to be a burden and becomes a beautiful, life-giving pursuit.
Dead to the Law, Alive to God
But how do we actually do this? If we try to obey in our own strength, we will inevitably fail. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul addresses in his letter to the Galatians. The early church was struggling with the temptation to mix the free grace of Jesus with the old system of law-keeping.
Paul drops a theological bombshell in Galatians 2:18-21:
“If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Paul makes it clear: if we try to rebuild a system of earning God’s favor through our obedience, we actually become transgressors of the new covenant of grace. We cannot earn righteousness. Christ died to fulfill the law on our behalf.
Our obedience now comes from a completely different power source. We are crucified with Christ. It is no longer just us trying really hard to be good; it is Christ actively living in us. We obey by yielding in faith to the Son of God who loves us. If we could earn Heaven by our own good behavior, the cross would be a tragic waste.
The Holy Strive: Examining Our Own Lives
Does this mean we just kick back, relax, and let “grace” cover everything while we live however we want? Absolutely not. Grace doesn’t make us lazy; it makes us passionate.
Consider Paul’s mindset later in his ministry. Even though he knew he was completely justified by faith, he wrote: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).
Paul strived. He worked. He pressed on. But he wasn’t striving to earn his salvation; he was striving to attain the purpose for which he was already saved. He wanted his daily life to match his new identity in Christ.
It’s time to examine our own lives. Take a moment to honestly reflect:
- Where are you seeing the fruit of obedience? In what areas of your life are you naturally loving God and loving others? Celebrate those victories! That is Christ living in you.
- Where are you striving to improve? Are there areas—your finances, your thought life, your words, your secret habits—where you are resisting the Holy Spirit?
- What is your motivation? When you try to obey, are you doing it out of fear of punishment, a desire to look good to others, or out of genuine gratitude for the cross?
The Root of It All: A Love Relationship
Ultimately, it all comes down to the most liberating truth Jesus ever spoke about obedience:
“If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15)
Notice the order. Jesus didn’t say, “If you keep my commands, then I will love you.” He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
It is all about a love relationship with Jesus. It is never about earning our way into Heaven. Our entrance into God’s presence is secured entirely by the blood of Christ. Our obedience is simply the loving response of a grateful heart.
When you struggle to obey, the answer isn’t usually to try harder. The answer is to draw nearer to Jesus. Spend time in His presence. Remember what He did for you on the cross (Galatians 2:20). When your heart is captivated by His love, obedience will naturally follow. You won’t just have to obey; you will want to.
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