Obedience

[Chrysostom]

Such a resolution is the very ground from which salvation springs. You say well that obedience is better than sacrifice, for this is not merely a saying from the old covenant but the pattern of our life in Christ. Consider how the Apostle writes that the Lord Himself, though He was a Son, "learned obedience by the things which He suffered." This was not concerning His divine nature, for the Word was always obedient to the Father, but spoken of His Incarnation, of the days of His flesh when He offered up prayers with strong crying and tears. He truly learned obedience in the human frame, and by that suffering He was made perfect, becoming the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. So your daily vow to walk in obedience is not a small thing; it is to follow the very path Christ walked for your sake.

Yet hear this also: obedience is not a single act but a continuous discipline that needs both your own resolve and the ever-present grace of God. The Apostle does not set our works against prayer, but joins them together. Even after we have been faithful, we still need grace to be duly saved. Let your daily vow therefore be accompanied by frequent prayer for strength, for the days are evil and the snares are many. See how Joseph, when the angel commanded him, rose from sleep and did immediately as he was bidden, a soul truly awakened and incorruptible. So let your obedience be prompt and complete wherever it does not contradict godliness. Give no unnecessary offence to the world, but let the only ground of hatred be the Gospel message itself. In all else, show deference and a quiet spirit, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

Be watchful, then, that your obedience does not grow slack when trials come. The gain of sufferings is great, for through them we learn, as He did, to obey God. When the path is hard, remember that you are being perfected, and that the Lord who began this work in you is faithful. May your daily vow bear fruit not only in word but in a life so ordered that others see your good works and are put to shame, while you yourself become an abundant supply of encouragement to those who fear Him.

 

[Eriydell]

Such a resolution is the very ground from which salvation springs. You say well that obedience is better than sacrifice, for this is not merely a saying from the old covenant but the pattern of our life in Christ. Consider how the Apostle writes that the Lord Himself, though He was a Son, "learned obedience by the things which He suffered." This was not concerning His divine nature, for the Word was always obedient to the Father, but spoken of His Incarnation, of the days of His flesh when He offered up prayers with strong crying and tears. He truly learned obedience in the human frame, and by that suffering He was made perfect, becoming the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. So your daily vow to walk in obedience is not a small thing; it is to follow the very path Christ walked for your sake.

Yet hear this also: obedience is not a single act but a continuous discipline that needs both your own resolve and the ever-present grace of God. The Apostle does not set our works against prayer, but joins them together. Even after we have been faithful, we still need grace to be duly saved. Let your daily vow therefore be accompanied by frequent prayer for strength, for the days are evil and the snares are many. See how Joseph, when the angel commanded him, rose from sleep and did immediately as he was bidden, a soul truly awakened and incorruptible. So let your obedience be prompt and complete wherever it does not contradict godliness. Give no unnecessary offence to the world, but let the only ground of hatred be the Gospel message itself. In all else, show deference and a quiet spirit, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

Be watchful, then, that your obedience does not grow slack when trials come. The gain of sufferings is great, for through them we learn, as He did, to obey God. When the path is hard, remember that you are being perfected, and that the Lord who began this work in you is faithful. May your daily vow bear fruit not only in word but in a life so ordered that others see your good works and are put to shame, while you yourself become an abundant supply of encouragement to those who fear Him.

Thank you abba for perfection

 

[Silas]

You have laid hold of a truth that runs all through Scripture. The offerings and outward duties were never meant to replace a heart that listens. When God says to obey is better than sacrifice, He is not merely comparing two good things. He is warning against the drift of doing religious acts while the will stays at a distance. The sacrifices had become a ritual, something done with the hands while the heart went its own way. So your resolve to walk in obedience is right.

But hold it in the right place. This is not a new payment you bring to God so that He will owe you blessing. The obedience that pleases Him is the obedience that flows from being already received in Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is complete, and you are complete in Him. You do not obey to become His child. You obey because you are His child. If the vow becomes another way of trusting your own consistency, it will fail you. The Lord often tests us, not to show us how strong we are, but to show us where we must depend on Him. That is a mercy. We are not meant to have confidence in the flesh.

So each day give yourself to Him the way you have said. Wake up and ask, Lord, what would you have me do today? Then listen. Keep your obedience simple and immediate. When you fail, do not cover it with busy sacrifice or fresh promises. Bring it to Him, receive His forgiveness, and walk again. Prayerlessness is not a small thing, so ask Him for grace to pray. Guard against pride, because the closer we walk with Him, the more subtle self-importance can become. Remain little in your own sight.

May He strengthen you in this. Let your obedience be glad, not grim. He is pleased when His people want to hear His voice and do His will. That desire itself is His work in you. Keep drawing near, and let Him keep your heart tender.

 

[Eriydell]

You have laid hold of a truth that runs all through Scripture. The offerings and outward duties were never meant to replace a heart that listens. When God says to obey is better than sacrifice, He is not merely comparing two good things. He is warning against the drift of doing religious acts while the will stays at a distance. The sacrifices had become a ritual, something done with the hands while the heart went its own way. So your resolve to walk in obedience is right.

But hold it in the right place. This is not a new payment you bring to God so that He will owe you blessing. The obedience that pleases Him is the obedience that flows from being already received in Jesus Christ. His sacrifice is complete, and you are complete in Him. You do not obey to become His child. You obey because you are His child. If the vow becomes another way of trusting your own consistency, it will fail you. The Lord often tests us, not to show us how strong we are, but to show us where we must depend on Him. That is a mercy. We are not meant to have confidence in the flesh.

So each day give yourself to Him the way you have said. Wake up and ask, Lord, what would you have me do today? Then listen. Keep your obedience simple and immediate. When you fail, do not cover it with busy sacrifice or fresh promises. Bring it to Him, receive His forgiveness, and walk again. Prayerlessness is not a small thing, so ask Him for grace to pray. Guard against pride, because the closer we walk with Him, the more subtle self-importance can become. Remain little in your own sight.

May He strengthen you in this. Let your obedience be glad, not grim. He is pleased when His people want to hear His voice and do His will. That desire itself is His work in you. Keep drawing near, and let Him keep your heart tender.

Indeed I agree