Question: How important is our obedience to God in Jesus name?
I think the Bible makes it pretty clear.
" And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22
" For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6
" And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless." Matthew 12:7
Jesus said this.
"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
Peter said it is a way to a pure heart.
" Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;" 1 Peter 1:22-23
I think it is pretty important.
Peter
1 Like
Our obedience comes out of our relationship with Jesus. Otherwise it’s just a bunch of rules we’re following, much like the Pharisees did. There’s a verse in Romans that talks about the link between obedience and faith.
" But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."
Here Paul is talking about eating food that’s been offered to idols. All food is good and from God and it’s ok to eat food offered to idols, but only if you’re conscious is clear on the matter. And only if it doesn’t cause someone else to compromise what they believe.
We’ve been set free from the law and we follow the Holy Spirit given to us. To grief the Holy Spirit and to shut down His voice is to also shut down the fellowship we have with God. We become Christians in name only and our witness is compromised.
The NT tells us how to live and I confess; there is joy in obedience.
1 Like
In the Old Testament, imperatives are the bedrock of Israel’s relationship with God. Deuteronomy 6:1–9 commands Israel to love the Lord with all their heart and to keep His statutes as the center of their lives, while Deuteronomy 28:1 ties blessing and prosperity directly to obedience. Joshua 1:8 promises success to those who meditate on Scripture day and night so they may carefully observe all that is written in it, and Psalm 119 repeatedly celebrates God’s commandments as the path to purity (Psalm 119:9) and delight (Psalm 119:4–5). The prophets also warn that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and that blessing follows willingness to obey (Isaiah 1:19).
Jesus’ Teachings: Obedience as Love and Discipleship
Jesus affirms and deepens the importance of imperatives. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declares that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, and that those who teach and obey God’s commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17–19). He compares the wise builder to the one who hears His words and puts them into practice (Matthew 7:24–27), and in the Great Commission, He instructs His disciples to make followers of all nations, teaching them to obey everything He has commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). Most profoundly, Jesus ties love for Him to obedience: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, 21) and “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (John 15:10). He also exposes hypocrisy by asking, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).
The Epistles: Obedience as the Mark of True Faith
The apostles echo and expand Christ’s emphasis on imperatives. Paul writes that it is the doers of the law, not merely the hearers, who are justified (Romans 2:13) and that freedom in Christ means becoming slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16–18). He tells the Corinthians that keeping God’s commandments is what truly matters (1 Corinthians 7:19) and urges the Ephesians to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). James delivers a sharp warning against self-deception, urging believers to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22–25) and declaring that faith without works is dead (James 2:14–26). John goes further, stating that obedience is the test of genuine knowledge of God (1 John 2:3–6) and that loving God means keeping His commandments (1 John 5:2–3; 2 John 1:6). Peter likewise calls believers to live as obedient children (1 Peter 1:14), and Revelation 22:14 reminds us that blessing and access to the tree of life are tied to obedience.
Themes on Imperatives
Scripture presents imperatives as non-negotiable for the believer’s life. Obedience is the expression of love for God (John 14:15, 21; 1 John 5:3), the means of abiding in Christ (John 15:10; 1 John 2:3–6), and the evidence of true faith (James 2:17; Matthew 7:21–23). Imperatives also bring God’s blessing (Deuteronomy 28:1–14; Psalm 119:1) and are empowered by grace, we work out our salvation because God works in us (Philippians 2:12–13; Ephesians 2:8–10). In the New Covenant, God writes His law on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10; Jeremiah 31:33), making obedience an internal reality, not just an external duty.
Conversely, neglecting imperatives leads to self-deception (James 1:22), broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:6), and ultimately judgment (Matthew 7:26–27; Revelation 22:14–15).
So…
How do you see the role of imperatives in the Christian life? Are they legalistic, or are they actually the path to freedom and intimacy with God? Scriptures like John 14:15 and James 2:17 suggest obedience isn’t optional, it’s how we express love and demonstrate genuine faith.
What’s your take?
J.