Obedience
Theological Proposition/Focus: God expects obedience, not as a means to earning favor, but because it is the best thing for his creation.
Homiletical Proposition/Application: We need to strive to be obedient in all we do.
Introduction:
Image: Mom's are a primary source for disciplined living.
Chores help, but also teach!
I remember thinking, what is the point of making my bed, it is just going to get messy tonight. However, all those little chores taught me to be disciplined and that discipline paid off when life was hard. I think the principle hold in general. Discipline pays off!
Need: We need to obey as we develop into disciplined Christ-followers.
Subject: Obedience
Preview: Today we are going to talk about obedience as a spiritual discipline. We will begin with what, move to why, and conclude with how.
Text: John 14:15, If you love me, keep my commands.
Setting the Stage:
What is a Spiritual Discipline.
We are in the middle of a series focusing on spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are the regular practices that when systematically practiced can help an individual nurture their relationship with God and grow in Christ likeness. None of the Spiritual Disciplines are new ideas but the label Spiritual Discipline makes it clear that these practices should be a regular and purposeful part of the Christian life. The term Spiritual Discipline also acknowledges that these practices are not necessarily easy or something that comes naturally to every Christian. It takes work energy and effort to live a disciplined life.
There are several examples of Spiritual Disciplines, some we have talked about, and some we still need to talk about.
Prayer
Bible study
Meditation
Fasting
Today we are going to talk about obedience as a Spiritual Discipline.
Body
What does it not look like to make obedience a spiritual discipline?
Making obedience a spiritual discipline does not look like following a bunch of rules in order to make one right with God (Ephesians 2:8-10).
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I want to start by making one thing clear here.
We do not have a right relationship with God because we are obedient! This is vitally important.
Rather, our obedience comes out of our right relationship with God as suggested by John 14:15.
Turn with me to Ephesians 2:8-10.
In context Paul is writing about our previous status of dead in transgression and sin but made alive in Jesus.
The key point Paul makes is that we are saved by grace
As we talk about obedience we must always remember that order matters, we are not saved by obedience, we are saved by grace.
Making obedience a spiritual discipline does not look like following a bunch of rules in order to guarantee special favor from God (John 9:1-3).
First, this is a common misconception, we are used to the law of cause and effect, but when we over apply the law it is called Karma, and this is not a Christian doctrine.
Look at how Jesus responded in John 9:1-3.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Second, there is a significant theological problem with what I describe as Christian Karma.
If God favors one who is obedient then my actions change God who is immutable.
What does it look like to make obedience a spiritual discipline? (Romans 6:15-23)
Making obedience a spiritual discipline looks like offering yourself as a slave to obedience (Romans 6:15-16)
First, remember, grace is not an excuse to sin.
A level one understanding of the Gospel says I am a sinner and need to do good to please God. This is not saving knowledge.
At level two someone says, "I am a sinner and incapable of saving myself, I need Christ's atonement." This is saving knowledge but not complete knowledge.
In fact, this is a dangerous place for a Christian. Christian's in this place can make a logical jump and conclude that since we are sinners we might as well embrace our sin and go crazy.
At level three someone says, "everyone is a slave to something, I don't want to be a slave to sin so I will instead enslave my self to obedience.
That is, the slave to obedience refuses to serve sin and sinful desires and instead chooses to obey not to earn favor from God but rather because it is the right thing to do. The phrase "which leads to righteousness." Here righteousness is not a state of justification, that is already accomplished by grace, righteousness here is probably a reference to justice, fairness, uprightness.
Making obedience a spiritual discipline does look like patterning oneself after Christ (Romans 6:17).
Several words bring to attention several aspects of obedience as a spiritual discipline.
from your heart - obedience as a spiritual discipline is not compulsory obedience but rather flows from a heart that God has changed you
This was promised to Israel in Ezekiel 36:26-27 " I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
The pattern of teaching - I think this is a reference to Christlikeness
Claimed your allegiance - obedience is a consequence of allegiance. If you are struggling to obey then take time to remind yourself of your allegiance.
Making obedience a spiritual discipline does look beautiful even if the metaphor is harsh (Romans 6:18-23)
In verse 19 Paul notes that we are limited in our human understanding.
Slavery is harsh, disgusting, and terrible, but the metaphor is apt because sin is harsh, disgusting, and terrible.
As a metaphor for our sinful state, slavery is an apt description.
Moreover, as suggested in verse 21, the fruit we bear in our sinful state is shameful!
Remember there is no punctuation in the original Greek and so translators make translation decisions!
If I were translating verse 21 I would write: Therefore, what sort of fruit did you have at that time? Things for which you are now ashamed. Things for which the end is death.
in other words I move the question mark from the NIV to set up some parallelism.
Slaves to sin produce things that result in shame!
Slaves to sin produce things that result in death!
In a beautiful turn of events, the one who is freed from sin and enslaved to God produces beautiful fruit.
Notice the parallels to verse 21
Instead of shame we have sanctification, things that are set apart for God.
Instead of death we have eternal life.
In verses 21 we εἴχετε (used to have) an imperfect i.e. progressive aspect, in verse 22 we ἔχετε (have) a present with still progressive aspect.
In short we were in a state of producing bad fruit but are now in a state of producing good fruit. The metaphor of slavery is harsh but that doesn't change the fact that it is an amazing reminder of just how bad we had it before.
Many of us have memorized Romans 6:23 but what we need to know is the context.
The wages are the wages of someone enslaved to sin.
The wages of sin is actually wages that come from slavery to sin. We are slaves and a slave must follow the master. If we are slaves to sin then we are stuck in sin and sin will only result in death. However, the gift of God is eternal life. But don't forget the context
We become enslaved to God (22) and this is the gift that brings eternal life.
When you recite Romans 6:23 remember it is not just eternal life but by implication the transfer of our slavery from the harsh master of sin to the loving master of God.
This is the gift of God. Eternal life is important, but so is the present reality of obedient life lived in service to God.
How can I make obedience a spiritual discipline?
Frank Thielman summarizes the situation well.
It is important when applying Pauls teaching in 6:15-23 to the church to leave the emphasis where the apostle himself places it, and that is on the necessity that believers present themselves to God for the purpose of living righteous and holy lives. This obedience arises from grace and so should never be the cause of pride in the believer, but it nevertheless involves the believer's effort and will. In his letter to Titus, who was training church leaders in the rough culture of Crete, Paul tells his coworker that "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age" (Titus 2:11-12). The term "training" here (παιδεύουσα) refers to teaching and education and so connotes discipline and effort for the one being taught. As Paul says only a few clauses later, Christ redeemed his people that they might be "zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).
Christians, then, should certainly rest in God's grace if they are anxious about whether they are at peace with God, but they should also discipline themselves to do what is right toward people around them, tending to the needs of the poor and oppressed, proclaiming the gospel to the unevangelized, and worshiping God according to his word and with his people.[1]
MTR: Make a point of choosing to submit to the Lordship of Christ.
There is all sorts of confusion around the theology of Lordship and we don't need to wade too far into that. What we need to do is submit to Christ.
Baptism is one way to submit to Christ.
Giving up a pet sin
Inviting someone to church
Answer a call to ministry
Which of these do you need to do. This is not a matter of connivence, it is a matter of obedience. When you mom asks you to do the dishes, you might make an excuse but if you don't do it then we call it what it is. Disobedience. Let's make sure to obey Jesus.
MTR: Regularly ask What Would Jesus Do?
This isn't just a catchy phrase. We are to follow the pattern of teaching we received!
How might our lives look different if we didn't merely ask in passing WWJD but we actually did what Jesus would do?
- ↑ Thielman, Frank S. Romans. Zondervan Academic, 2018, 328
