Obeying Jesus: Is It Out Of Fashion?
Obeying Jesus
… is it out of fashion?
Obeying Jesus… I’ve been reading through the Gospel of John recently and I’ve been struck by how often Jesus called his followers to obey him. For Jesus, the sign of a true believer… someone who was sincere about their faith… someone who was considered a child of God…was their willingness to obey his teaching.
Obeying Jesus Isn’t Legalism
Yet people today often equate teaching on obedience as legalism. They feel like it’s preaching “works,” that is, that you have to earn your salvation by your behavior. So they settle for another kind of legalism, one that proves its worth by religious activity: church attendance, Bible reading, giving money, time in prayer, etc. in contrast to seeking an inner transformation that expresses itself in behavior.
Have You Been Misinformed?
I don’t think this is always the fault of Christians. Part of the problem is what and how pastors teach.
Too often pastors are so concerned about filling their seats that their sermons are more about self-help. People don’t realize that Jesus isn’t there just to save them and heal them. He’s also calling them to be like him in character so the world can see God in their lives.
This is disappointing because there is so much life in following the way of Jesus. People have been robbed of his life by being misdirected and having a false understanding of grace.
Grace isn’t something that saves us from sin and excuses us from obedience. Grace is actually the empowerment to do what you can’t do on your own… to become someone you never thought you could be.
Jesus Calls Us To Obey His Teaching
Let me give you a brief sampling of Jesus’ call to obey:
If you love me, you will obey my commandments. John 14:15
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35: Luke 8:21)
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (Luke 11:28)
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)
Stories of Obedience
In addition to calling people to obey, Jesus told stories of people who obeyed. For example:
A man…had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later changed his mind and went. Then, the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.” [Jesus asked,] “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. Matthew 21:28-31 (NIV)
Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling people that those who choose to obey his teaching are like people who built their house on a rock. But those who choose to ignore his teaching are like people who built their life on sand.
And as Jesus looked ahead to the Day of Judgment he offered this word of caution:
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Is Obeying Jesus Optional?
My point is that it’s hard to sidestep Jesus’ call to obey his teaching. Yet in the church today, it’s hard to find people who adhere to Jesus’ teachings as a way of life. They treat the teachings as optional.
Many people go to church. Many people listen to worship music and quote scripture but the idea of seriously committing to conform to Jesus’ teaching as a way of life isn’t even a consideration that’s taken seriously.
In fact, some have said that Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness, loving your enemies, taking up your cross… are just an unattainable ideal that he never expected people to follow. These teachings only prove our need for salvation, freeing people to live their life however they choose, and being religious to offer thanks.
Now, please hear me. I’m not trying to be critical of Christians or churches. There are plenty of people out there doing that. I’m not here to throw people under the bus. I just want to point out something that I see lacking so we’ll think about it and make the necessary changes.
The Impact of Obeying Jesus
Choosing to follow Jesus’ teachings is important for a few reasons.
One, they provide a way through the wilderness of life. Our lives can easily be filled with complicated scenarios that lead to bad decisions, often in relationships and finances. These decisions might seem wise in the short term but prove to be fatal over time. But if you had followed Jesus’ teaching you could have saved yourself years of regret.
Second, following Jesus’ teachings shows the world who God is. When people see you forgive, prefer others, act with generosity and humility, etc. you will stand out in contrast to what they see in the rest of the world. Your behavior offers natural opportunities for you to explain to people why you have chosen a different path.
And third, following Jesus’ teaching is an act of worship. It’s an admission to God that he is God and you are not and that you believe his way is better than your way, even if it doesn’t make sense in the moment. That’s why Jesus prayed, “Not my will but yours be done,” before he was arrested and crucified. Jesus gave us an example of the importance of obedience to God at all costs.
Obeying Jesus Means Alignment With God
Put simply, obedience to Jesus' teaching is the process of aligning yourself with your new reality in Christ. You are being conformed into his image. The apostle Paul put it this way: we are taking off the clothing of our old life and putting on the clothes of our new life.
It’s a matter of integrity, lining up your behavior with your new life of faith. Belief in Jesus isn’t just an intellectual ascent but a daily transformative process.
Obeying Jesus Is Empowered by His Spirit
You might think that obeying Jesus is too hard…that you are incapable of obedience. But that’s why Jesus followed one of his calls to obedience with these words…
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17
Jesus followed his call to obedience by immediately telling his disciples about the power of his Spirit to be with them to live a new life. When you tap into God’s Spirit to live his life you enter into a whole new level of reality.
Obedience isn’t meant to be a burden. It’s actually meant to set you free. That’s why Jesus said:
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31,32
People like to quote the last part of this sentence, “the truth will set you free,” not realizing that the freedom Jesus is talking about comes from obeying him.
You see, Jesus isn’t trying to oppress us. He’s trying to free us to live life at a different level.
The Church Should Help Us To Obey Jesus
The church has gone through a season of growing “a mile wide and an inch deep.” It was fun while it lasted, but now we are seeing the fruit of it. The pandemic exposed many weaknesses in the church. It’s like how the recent drought is drying up lakes and exposing things that no one knew were there.
Simply believing is no longer enough. Filling churches isn’t enough. These aren’t making us the “light of the world” that Jesus intended us to be. The church going forward needs to return to its roots of making disciples… people who want to be like their Master and train daily to do so.
Our obedience isn’t done to save us. It’s done in response to being saved by God’s goodness. We obey so that we might become like our Father.
What is one teaching of Jesus that you can start to obey this week that you’ve been avoiding?
For a concise section of Jesus’ teaching see his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, chapters 5-7.
Go to the Home Page to discover books, blogs, and coaching options to help you be a better person and live a better life. When you subscribe to readingremy.com you will receive the first chapter to my book STUCK and a weekly blog post.
See also: