Why Do We Obey God?

Most people do not recognize God, so it is not surprising that they do not obey Him. Yet as Christians, obedience ought to be a way of life. But WHY do we obey God? It is not to “earn” our salvation. Yet as our text explains, we must be “obedient from the heart.” So we ask, WHY do we obey God? There are a few reasons presented in the Scriptures.

Reasons for Obeying God

• We obey because we have faith (Romans 1:5) – contrary to what many believe, faith and works are NOT opposing concepts (James 2:26)
• We obey because we have chosen to obey (Joshua 24:15) – Jesus has “all authority” (Matthew 28:18); He has the right to expect obedience (Matthew 28:20); but He does not force us; we must choose to do this
• We obey because we are servants of God (Romans 6:16-18) – by obeying the Lord, we make ourselves His servants; obedience then is expected (Luke 17:10)
• We obey to demonstrate our love for God (1 John 5:3) – we do not obey God grudgingly; we obey because we love Him and want to please Him (John 14:15)
• We obey because we fear God (Ecclesiastes 12:13) – we know about God’s wrath (Ephesians 5:6; Hebrews 10:31); we do not want to face the penalty for failing to obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
• We obey in order to be saved (Hebrews 5:9) – the non-Christian must obey the gospel (Acts 2:38-41); a Christian must remain faithful and not fall away (Hebrews 4:11; Revelation 2:10)

What It Means When We Disobey

• We are living as if we do not believe Him (James 2:18) – faith and works are necessarily linked; if we do not obey the Lord, any claim we make of believing in Him is an empty one
• We have chosen to reject Him (Philippians 3:17-18) – if we do not obey the Lord, we are choosing the side that is against Him
• We have become slaves of sin (Romans 6:17) – if we turn from being “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18), we go back to being slaves of sin (Romans 6:16)
• We have renounced our love for Him (1 John 2:3-5) – again, love leads to obedience (1 John 5:3; John 14:15); we cannot claim to love the Lord while rejecting His teachings
• We are showing that we do not fear/respect God (Romans 3:9, 18) – this is why the world was in sin; we might know what God’s word teaches, but if we do not respect Him, we will not submit to Him
• We are jeopardizing our salvation (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) – Paul needed discipline to not be disqualified; if we “go on sinning willfully,” we stand to face God’s judgment (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Conclusion

• Obedience is a requirement for those who would claim to be the Lord’s disciples – this is more than just “going through the motions”; it includes an attitude of love and reverence that motivates us to obey
• Obedience demonstrates our faith and is done of our own free will as servants of God – knowing that the Lord will save those who obey Him, let us strive to faithfully serve Him