The Joy of Obedience

Before diving in, we’d love to invite you to walk through our five-day devotional, Astonishing Obedience. This devotional explores how God empowers us to forgive the impossible through the power of the gospel. You can start the journey here.

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Obedience is the activating agent that allows us to live astonishing lives.  

“The vast majority of Christians are educated past their level of obedience.” - Josh Howerton.

The enemy does not mind you hearing the Word and being convicted by it, as long as you don’t act. He doesn’t mind you attending bible studies or church, as long as you do nothing.  

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  

James 1:22

It will be astonishing when what we believe shapes how we live.  

Read Acts 4:13–20 and Acts 5:27–32. 

What we believe must change the way we live.  

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” - C.S. Lewis.  

1. Our obedience reveals where our allegiance lies.  

Obedience to God always trumps obedience to human beings where there is a conflict between the two.  

Read Acts 5:27.

Even though the apostles stood before earthly power, they had already submitted to a higher authority.  

Our obedience reveals where our allegiance lies.  

Scripture is very clear that we are to bend over backwards to be submissive to authorities (Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2). But when those in authority over us demand that we live in contradiction with how God demands us to live, we not only may defy, but we must defy.

2. You can’t live like Jesus until you have first been with Jesus.  

You won’t live by the Word of God if you don’t live in the Word of God. 

Read Acts 4:13 and Acts 4:20.

What was their reasoning for standing firm? For not caving in to the authorities?

Look at what Peter and John say in Acts 4:32: "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”  

This is the marching order Jesus gave them before he ascended to heaven. It’s his marching orders for us, too.  

Read Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:17-20.

Obedience is a critical part of our discipleship.  

At the Cross, we got Jesus' life; in return, He must get ours.  

Read Romans 10:9.

It's not just that Jesus is good, kind, true, merciful, beautiful, worthy, historical, loving, but that he is LORD.  What he says goes. He calls the shots. He is in charge.  

Proximity to the things of God does no good without submission to the Word of God. We want proximity to the blessings of the kingdom, while resisting submission to the King of the Kingdom. 

We choose the things we like about God (love, forgiveness, grace) and forsake the hard parts that require us to grow and change.

Read Hebrews 13:8.

If you built your own god...then your God is no God at all.  

"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." - Saint Augustine.

"If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself." - Tim Keller.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:15 and Romans 12:2.

Our desires and our preferences aren’t our primary drivers any longer.  

Trust is measured by what you do at the intersection of your wants and his commands.  

It’s not just that we resist our desires; it’s that our desires change.  

When is the last time that your faith required faith?

Think about Ananias in Acts 9. He was a devout disciple from Damascus. The LORD came to him in a vision and told him to go straight to the street and ask for Saul of Tarsus — the one who had been breathing out murderous threats and killing those who belonged to the way. The one who applauded at Stephen’s stoning. Not only that, Saul came with papers from the chief priests to arrest all who called on Jesus' name, including Ananias' own name.

Read Acts 9:17.

“Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.” - Dr. Charles Stanley. 

When the world sees this kind of faith, they will be ASTONISHED.  

You won’t live by the Word of God if you don’t live in the Word of God. 

3. Obedience to Jesus leads to knowing more of Jesus.

 Read John 14:21.

Obedience leads to further revelation — it's a beautiful cycle.  

As you walk in the ways of God, your heart becomes further and further in tune with the things of God.  

4. Obedience to Christ is evidence that we are in Christ. 

Read 1 John 2:3–6.

Religion says, ‘If I obey, then God will love and accept me.’ The gospel says, ‘God loves and accepts me, therefore I want to obey.’” - Tim Keller.  

You are not accepted because of your obedience. You are not accepted because of anything you have done. By Grace alone. Through Faith Alone. In Christ Alone. That’s the only way any of us can be saved.  

Obedience is not our effort to attain the gospel; it is our response to the gospel, and it is evidence that we have received it.  

5. As you grow in Christ, obedience becomes a delight and not a duty.  

Read Acts 5:41–42, Psalm 37:4 (ESV), John 14:21, and Philippians 3:7–9. 

Following Jesus will cost you. Costless Christianity is not biblical Christianity. But you will not give up anything you will regret. Because what you gain is infinitely better than anything you lose.  

Read John 10:26–27 and John 10:15.

When you understand that he laid down his life for you, you will gladly submit and surrender to Him.  

He not only knows the way to the destination. He is the way and he is the 

destination.  

You move from obeying out of obligation to obeying out of love.