How Much Do We Have To Obey?
This may seem like a strange question, but such an attitude is exhibited in the daily lives of many. Back in 2014, I wrote an article entitled “Just Enough To Get By”. In it, I pointed out that many folks have become so busy, they’ve adopted the attitude that they only need to do what is absolutely necessary so that they can “fit in” everything they want to do. Notice this last statement, everything “THEY” want to do. Some folks even tend to have this mindset in regard to their jobs. If the job description doesn’t “require it”, or if the boss doesn’t “specifically demand it”, they ask, “do I have to do it”?
Sadly, this is also the same approach adopted by many in the religious world. Even when Christ was on earth, the Jews, who had a written Law, developed the same mentality. We see this in Luke 17:1 as Jesus taught His closest disciples. He had warned them of that “offenses” would come, but warned, “woe unto him, through whom they come!” The apostles became concerned, and said in verse 5, “Lord, Increase our faith.”. Following this, in Luke 17:10, the Christ taught them the fallacy of being unworthy in their service to God. He said, So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
At the conclusion of Jesus’ Matthew chapter 25 teaching on the parable of the talents, He told the fate of those who sought to do only what had been explicitly Commanded. In Matt. 25:30 He stated, And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Oh, the eternal anguish of those who seek to merely “get by” and do only what they consider as “their duty”. Perhaps Rev. 2:4 will help us to see that this is applicable in the church age today. The church of the Lord which met in Ephesus prior to the apocalypse was told, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Simply “doing” without proper love for God is not the obedience God wants. Their “works without love for God made them unprofitable. In verse five, they were told “to repent”. This strongly indicates they were going the wrong way.
So, how much did those of the past, and we “have to obey”? We find in Gen. 6:22 that which was said of the ark builder, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Later, in Deut. 6:24, the Lord Commanded Israel to “do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day”. In verse 25, we read, “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.” In Deut. 10:12-13, the Spirit directed Moses to ask what God required of Israel, and part of the answer was they were to “walk in all His ways” and “keep the commandments of God and His statutes”.
Joshua, nearing the conclusion of His life, called the elders, the heads, the judges and officers of all Israel together. In Josh. 23:6, the Spirit had him admonish them to, “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;” This means they were not to deviate in any way from the Word of God and the keeping of it. When God granted Solomon’s prayer for an understanding heart, God promised him this as well as riches, honor and length of days, but there were conditions to receiving these. We find this in 1Kings 3:14. God said, “And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.”
What about today, in the New Testament age? How much are we to obey? This depends on if we know God and how much we love Him. We know God if we have been baptized into Christ, don’t we? We are told in 1John 2:3 how we know God. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. In verse 4, we find, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. To keep His Commandments implies “ALL” of His Commandments. “Keepeth not” means refusing to, or not continuing to keep any of them. Again, this is “ALL” of the N.T. Word. 1John 5:3 tells how one shows his/her love for God. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. This means the keeping of “ALL” of God’s Commandments are not too difficult. We MUST obey ALL of God’s N.T. Commandments!
In Acts 10:33, Cornelius, having recounted the appearance of an angel and the directive to send for Peter, tells the apostle, “Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.” Peter was to preach “all things” commanded, leaving nothing out. In 2Cor. 2:9, the Spirit had Paul write, “that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.” In 2Cor. 10:5, after pointing out that the weapons of the faithful Christian aren’t carnal (of the world), and that as we look to God and His Word, if we focus our minds, we can be, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ”.
Unless, or until one has been baptized into Christ, they are the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). Those who are less than totally faithful have once again become children of disobedience (2Pet. 2:20-22). The wrath of God will also be directed on these “less than totally obedient” (Col. 3:6). How much do we have to obey? That depends on how much we love God, and where we want to spend eternity. Something to think about!
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
