Last Sunday we discussed Hebrews 11:17-19 and Genesis 22:1-19 concerning the trying of Abraham’s faith. Nearby in Hebrews is another statement about Abraham. It reads:

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whither he went." (Heb. 11:8.) "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:18.)

Obedience is always included where great men and women of faith are found because faith and obedience go naturally together. In fact, there are several crucial elements of obedience, which are always nearby and involved in the action of obedience. I want to look at some of those elements that prompt and promote obedience, whether it is expressed to God, parents, and others in authority.

First, we should note that our salvation is dependent upon whether we obey God. Obedience is essential to salvation. Note these verses:

"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29.)

"And we are witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Acts 5:32.)

"But this thing commanded I them saying, Obey my voice and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you." (Jer. 7:23.)

"Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16.)

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:17-18.) The apostle Peter described Christians as "obedient children." (1:14.)

"Though He were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." (Heb. 5:8-9.)

Two problems with obedience. The thought of obeying gives man an unpleasant feeling. Most of us---saint and sinner alike---have a strong streak of independence. Often man will do the opposite of what someone commands him to do. Children will often so respond to their parents. Man resists the commands of God. This is a real problem when preaching on such a topic. Why do we so often do the very opposite of what we are commanded to do? The right attitude toward submission and obedience is necessary and must be developed.

A second problem is that strong preaching on obedience too often adds traditions, customs, rules and regulations that God has not placed upon man. Man, when in a position of authority, will often place requirements upon others that he himself will not and does obey. Humanly devised laws add unnecessary burdens on the hearts of God’s people. We must be careful not to change the Gospel of Christ into a law system.

One of the points of discussion at the Jerusalem conference was this very matter. "Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (Acts 15:10.) The Judaizers want to command the Christians to keep the Law of Moses, and particularly circumcision, in addition to the Gospel. The elders and apostles rejected such a notion.

Part of the solution to the above problems is to note the elements involved in obedience. When the things related to obedience are understood, then the burdensome aspect of obedience is removed. That is, one of the major purposes for obedience is for our redemption, for our good for now and eternity.

"And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." (Deut. 6:24-25.)

"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27.)

Obedience has always been required by God our Father from the beginning. Even though we have two covenants, this has never changed. Neither have the things associated with obedience changed.

Lot and his family were commanded to flee Sodom. There was the crucial matter of time. God was going to overthrow the city due to its wickedness. The Bible records this about Lot: "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him. And they brought him forth and set him without the city." (Gen. 19:16.) If the angels had not dragged Lot and his family out of the city, they would have been destroyed with Sodom.

What if Noah had lingered to build the ark and the rain started before he finished it? What if the Israelites had lingered when they were commanded to cross the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army swiftly approaching? What if the thief on the cross had lingered while dying near Jesus? What if the Christians in Jerusalem lingered when the Roman army was poised to destroy it? There is a time element involved in obedience. The foolish virgins were not prepared when the groom arrived and "the door was shut." (Matt. 25:10.)

The story was told about a family who lived near a railroad track. There were small children in the family. As they were prone to do, they were playing on the track one day with a train approaching. The father was home and heard the train. He rain outside in time to see his young son on the track with his back to the oncoming train. The father did not have time to run to his son before the train reached him. He had time only to shout to his son and tell him to lie down on the track. The boy had learned to trust and obey his father. He knew that his father loved him and would command to do things that were for his good. The child immediately hit the ground and the train passed safely over him.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2.)

Someone might think that there is no such need to hasten like Lot or the Israelites before the Red Sea. I want to offer this warning---spiritual doors can shut just as physical ones. The heart can hardened and seal one’s doom. It has happened often. Paul referred to some who were "past feeling." (Eph. 4:19.)

The heart of man is another important aspect of obedience. Our response to God reveals the condition of our hearts. If the heart is right, the commands of God will not be burdensome.

"This is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3.) "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15.)

Peter said to Simon the sorcerer, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." (Acts 8:21.) The psalmist said this about Israel: "For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant." (Psalm 78:37.)

Jesus was obedient unto death because his heart was right with his Father, and because he loved the lost so. Explicit obedience comes from a tender, submissive and willing heart. Hard-heartedness causes disobedience. Both the will of man and his understanding are involved in conditioning the heart. A person can understand and yet not be willing. A willing heart comes from a decision or choice that one makes. Nehemiah wrote that "the people had a mind to work." (Neh. 4:6.)

Story from the restorationists. Preachers from the Restoration period would often illustrate the will of man and obedience by the following story. Suppose a family was planning to move west. The father and his sons would go ahead and plan where to build the new house and barn. After laying the plans for their new homestead, the father returned home and left the plans with his sons showing where to build the cabin and barn, and where to dig the well. The sons looked at the lay of the land and agreed that their father had well selected the best place for the cabin and barn. They immediately set forth the task of building. When they finished with the buildings, they looked at the location of the well on the rough plans their father had left them. The sons decided that the well was in the wrong place; they did not know why the father had selected such a poor location. So they decided to dig the well at another location. The preachers would then ask their audience, concerning the three things the father asked the sons to do, In how many were the sons faithful? The audiences were prone to say that they were faithful concerning the cabin and the barn, but not concerning the well. The preacher surprised the audience by saying, The sons were not faithful in regard to any of the tasks! They placed the cabin and barn where they did because they agreed with the father. The fact that they at will changed the location of the well revealed that they were self-willed and complied with the father’s wishes only when it agreed with their thinking. These sons were not obedient at all.

Faith is the foundation upon which obedience and works for God is built. Obedience without faith is meaningless. Faith without works is dead being alone. (James 2:26.) Abraham obeyed God; he was motivated and moved by his deep faith in God. (Heb. 11:8, 17-19.) Since all that we do in response to God is motivated by faith, it can be said that we are justified and saved by faith. No not mere faith, but if it is faith then there are fruits of faith that follow. Obedience is one such fruit of faith. The repeated emphasis of the Hebrew writer is "by faith. . . ." (chapter 11.) This does not mean "at faith" but rather based upon faith.

It is a futile exercise to try to force people to obey God. The effort should be directed at building faith in them and love for God. Then obedience and submission will naturally follow. If obedience and willing submission do not follow, the reason is that they do not love God nor believe sincerely in Him.

"So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17.) "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:27-29.)

Faith is needed; we need not understand everything. Faith means that we trust God and accept his promises. Abraham did not understand many things. He left Ur of the Chaldees not knowing where he was going. Have you ever left somewhere without knowing where you were going? Abraham did not understand why God would command him to offer his son. Noah had never witnessed a rain storm. It may not have even rained until the flood. The canopy or firmament above the earth so surrounded the earth to produce a "greenhouse effect" upon the earth. Mist fell upon the ground providing the needed moisture. But most likely, it had not rained before the flood. This is trust in God; obeying when one does not understand all the details.

One of my professors, Dr. Doug Brown, divided mankind into four groups concerning their obedience to God. They are: 1) the willfully disobedient, 2) the disobedient without knowing God’s will, 3) the obedient without faith in God, and 4) the willfully obedient with faith. Of course, the best of these four is the one who knows the Father’s will and readily does it. (Matt. 7:21, James 4:17.)