When it comes to Christianity, individuals believe that they must submit entirely to the Supreme Being, God. According to Christians, God is the creator of the universes and all therein; thus, they must obey Him. Christian obedience includes surrendering all the actions of an individual to the Law of God according to Protestant theology. From the first book of the bible to the last, the text says there is a lot that must be done when it comes to obedience. The concept of obedience is well displayed in the story of the Ten Commandments where God asks the Israelites to obey Him. One verse in the bible in the book of Deuteronomy claims that “Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey, and you will be cursed.” Besides, the New Testament is full of Jesus Christ examples that call Christians to a life of obedience. In other words, obedience means living according to what God requires.
The Importance of Obeying God
The general perception of obedience in the Old and New Testament transmits to hearkening or hearing to a higher authority. The word obedience in Greek means the idea of an individual positioning himself under another person who is in command and authority. Faithful obedience and or hearing includes the physical hearing that encourages the hearer as well as makes his trust or believes which in return makes the hearer to behave in accordance with the desires of the speaker. In this case, the speaker is God who speaks through his word in the bible. Currently, the gospel is preached almost to all parts of the world. Speakers are persuading people to come to Christ as well as obeying him to gain the eternal life. In addition to this, for one to be close to God, they must follow Him as He is the Master.
To understand God’s will in life, Christians must have a close relationship with God. In this context, obedience means living a holy life just as Jesus was divine. Jesus went around doing good as well as healing the sick and Christian are called to do same. Jesus was Lord Himself, and He obeyed everything His Father had instructed Him to do. Jesus is the Holy and Righteous One, Christians follow his footsteps to obey Jesus as well as God. Moreover, obeying God means one to live a life without sin just as Jesus did. Obeying the word of God as well as trusting it sets people free from worldly burdens according to the Bible.
According to the Reformed and Lutheran theology, the righteousness of God requires perfect obedience to the law of God. Christ brought with Him perfect righteousness in the law which is ascribed to those who trust Him. Obeying God’s laws brings with it total satisfaction, the holiness of Christ as well as righteousness. In addition to this, obedience to God brings hope. Disobeying the rules of God has its consequences. A lot of people in the people were punished because of not obeying the laws of God. For instance, in the book of Genesis, Adam is cursed after disobeying God.
