When I started attending church, I used to think that maybe Christians were abusing the word “obey”. Whenever there were conflicts, I heard ‘Christians need to obey.’ Therefore, it looked like it was a method to manipulate others to have their way, or to just obscure the issue. After many years, however, I realized the importance of obedience.
All human sins originate from disobedience. After all, the original sin of Adam and Eve was unwillingness to obey. The spirit which controls this world is the spirit of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:2) Therefore, it is more natural for us to be defiant than to be obedient toward anyone. To be obedient is a way to prevent our sinful nature, and when we obey the evil spirit will lose its grip and we can be victorious in our spiritual battle.
There is another important reason why we should obey. The opposite of obedience is not disobedience but rather ‘defiance’. This defiance or stubbornness is against God’s will and His ways toward us. As we live our lives outside of God without any knowledge of Him, it is quite common that we have become someone who is entirely different from what God intended us to be. Then, we meet Jesus and come back to God. From then on, God changes us as He originally meant us to be. That is why the Bible calls God the potter and says that we are the clay. (Isaiah 64:8)
If we are stubborn, however, God cannot work on us. It is just like a hardened lump of clay. When we are like that, naturally it is quite difficult for God to work on us. That is why in the Bible God calls such persons ‘stubborn and stiff necked people’. Thus, my own stubbornness is preventing changes in me.
We need to put down our stubbornness and learn to obey. As with a soft lump of clay, we need to give ourselves to God so that He can work on us easily. God told Moses, ‘Take off your shoes.’ Each of us needs to give up my theology, my value, my experience, my prejudice, etc. and simply follow Him as He calls us. When I am willing to put down my way, God can work on me. Our happiness totally depends on the changes in us as we allow God to work in us.
Therefore, I urge wives to submit to your husbands. At work, you are to submit to your bosses. As a citizen, you need to submit to government authority. More than anything, please obey your spiritual leaders in house church or church. Your obedience, especially obedience with a glad heart, to the church leaders and toward church policy without any arguments would be greatly beneficial to you in the future.
No Comments to "Why obey?"
