What Does The Bible Say About Obedience? Obedience is the key to finding mercy and favor before God through Christ. Having said this, one might ask, “what does the Bible say about obedience?” It is just without doubt that the Bible has much to say about obedience. We can as well say with all confidence that obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was by Himself “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). The act of taking up your cross and following Jesus Christ on a daily basis as mentioned in Matthew 16:24 has to do with being obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Behold, our love for Jesus Christ is demonstrated by obeying His commands as we can read from John 14:15 – “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Anyone who calls him/herself a Christian but does not obey the commands of Jesus Christ can be asked the question in Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” It is by Believing, Sincerely Repenting from our sins, and obeying the Key Teachings of Jesus Christ that we are set apart to benefit from God’s special gift of Eternal Life and can be called His Children and true followers of Jesus. An obedient heart leads you into the Mercy and Favor of the Almighty God. In simple terms, we can define obedience as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” This definition clearly points to the elements of biblical obedience.
What Does The Bible Say About Obedience?
It is our obligation to obey God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth. We should fulfill our duty just as Jesus Christ fulfilled His to the Father by dying on the Cross at Calvary as atonement for our sin. In fulfilling our duty to God, we must maintain a submissive nature. By submissive here, we mean yielding our will to God’s. It is in this way that we’ll be able to align ourselves with the commands of God in the Scriptures. God Himself happens to be the One in authority, sovereign ruler over Heaven and Earth, whose authority is total and unequivocal. Living a life of an obedient Christian has to do with complying with everything that God has commanded. It is our primary duty to live this way.
What the Scripture says about Obedience
It is important to understand here that our obedience to God is not solely a matter of duty. The Scripture calls on us to obey His commands because we love Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do (John 14:23). And if we love Him, it is because He first loved us. We exist today because He created us. We are alive because He says we should be. He has given us every good reason to give Him thanks. An objective look around you will give you a reason to thank God. It is also worth noting that the spirit of obedience is as important as the act of obedience. It is in this light that we have been called to serve the Lord God Almighty in humility, love and singleness of heart.
We should beware of using a veneer of obedience to mask a sinful heart. Get it once and for all that living a Christian life is not all about breaking and not breaking rules. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time refused to see the truth before them and rather chose to relentlessly pursue acts of obedience to the law, thereby becoming self-righteous, and they believed that they could obtain God’s special gift of Eternal Life in Heaven because of what they had done. By so doing, they considered themselves worthy before God, who owed them a reward. However, the Scripture tells us that without Jesus Christ, even our best, most righteous works are as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The Pharisees’ external obedience still lacked something, and Jesus clearly exposed their heart attitude as He called for a change or renewal.
Jesus, the Law, and Moses
The Pharisees were more into a form of hypocrisy in obeying the “Letter of the Law” while actively violating its Spirit. Jesus Christ understood this and rebuked them sharply in Matthew 23:27–28 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” We can as well say that the Pharisees were obedient in some respects, but unfortunately they “neglected the weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23). The Law of Moses is of great importance because it points to the “Promised Savior” or “Anointed One”. Christ came to fulfill this Law and make everything whole for the obtainment of salvation.
Behold, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the teachings of the Prophets but to accomplish them (Matthew 5:17). We can say without doubt that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17). Today, we have been called to fulfill the “Law of Christ” which is the “Law of Love: Loving God with all your being and loving your neighbor as you love yourself” (Galatians 6:2; John 13:34; and Matthew 22: 37-40). Jesus Christ Himself pointed to the greatest commands of all in Matthew 22:36–40 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” If we truly love God, we will obey Him.
Eight (8) Reasons why obedience to God is important
1. Jesus calls us to obedience (John 14:15)
We can find the perfect model of obedience in Jesus Christ. He honored His Father by accepting the cup of suffering as atonement for our sins (Luke 22:42). And as His disciples, we are to follow His example and commands. Here, our motivation for obedience is love. Let’s support this point by reading from John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
2. Obedience is an act of worship (Romans 12:1)
Although the Bible emphasizes much on obedience, we are not justified (made righteous before God) by our obedience. It is important to understand here that salvation is a free gift from God through Christ. We can do absolutely nothing on our own to merit this gift. Genuine Christian obedience flows from the heart of gratitude for the grace of God that we obtained through Christ. Let’s support this point by reading from Romans 12:1 – “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
3. God rewards obedience (James 1:22–25)
On several occasions, the Scripture teaches us that there is much to benefit from God when we are obedient to His Will. Let’s support this point by reading from James 1:22–25 – “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
4. Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22–23)
The popular phrase, “obedience is better than sacrifice,” is quite complex to understand by many. However, we can make a meaning out of this phrase by referring to the Old Testament context of sacrifice which had to do with the offering of animal blood in the Temple. It is important to understand that these sacrifices of foods and animals were not intended to replace obedience. Let’s support this by reading from 1 Samuel 15:22–23 – But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
5. Obedience to God proves our love (2 John 6; 1 John 5:2–3)
Loving God has to do with obeying His Commandments. Let’s support this by reading from 2 John 6 – “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.” Let’s further read from 1 John 5:2-3 – “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”
6. Disobedience leads to sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:22)
Behold, the rebellion or disobedience of Adam brought sin and death into the entire world. Theologians refer to this sin as “Original Sin.” Luckily enough, the perfect obedience of Christ brings life and fellowship with God to all those who believe in Him. Let’s support this point by reading from 1 Corinthians 15:22 – “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
7. Obedience to God demonstrates our faith (1 John 2:3–6)
Obedience to God is a clear demonstration of our faith. Each time that we obey God, we are demonstrating our trust and faith in Him. Let’s support this by reading from 1 John 2:3–6 – “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
8. An obedient heart sets us apart to benefit from a Holy Living in Christ (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Jesus Christ lived a Holy Life. Through the grace of God, we can also appear Holy before God through Him. For this purpose, we need to cultivate an obedient heart and spirit to His commands. This will make way for the Holy Spirit to renew us and give us a new nature in Christ (the process of sanctification). We should never stop studying and putting God’s words into action. His grace that comes through Christ will certainly make us whole. Let’s support our message by reading from 2 Corinthians 7:1 – “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” Before presenting the best Bible verses about obedience to God, let’s look at some facts about obedience.
Facts about Obedience to God
- Those who are obedient can walk with God
- When you are obedient, you can obey God’s voice
- Spiritual and Physical blessings await all who are obedient to God
- Obedience is the path that leads to God’s best
- Genuine obedience is trusting God to be Who He Is.
- Obedience locates you within God’s mercy and favor
What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Psalm 119:30 – “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.”
Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
1 John 5:3 – “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
Isaiah 1:19 – “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;”
Acts 5:29 – But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
1 Peter 1:14 – “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,”
John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
John 8:51 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
1 John 3:24 – “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.“
2 Kings 18:6 – “For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.”
John 14:31 – “But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”
Exodus 23:22 – “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”
Group 1 – What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Philippians 2:8 – “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
John 14:23 – Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Psalm 119:60 – “I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.”
Luke 11:28 – But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Jeremiah 7:23 – “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’”
Romans 5:19 – “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
Psalm 112:1 – “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!“
James 1:22-25 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Group 2 – What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
John 15:14 – “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Titus 3:1 – “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,”
Psalm 119:44 – “I will keep your law continually, forever and ever,”
Hebrews 5:9 – “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,“
John 14:21 – “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.”
Exodus 19:5 – “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;”
2 Chronicles 31:21 – “And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.”
Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
Hebrews 13:17 – “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Psalm 143:10 – “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”
Group 3 – What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”
Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Psalm 119:59 – “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;”
1 Samuel 15:22 – 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.”
John 15:10 – “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
Romans 1:5 – “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,”
Deuteronomy 4:39-40 – “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”
Deuteronomy 6:18 – “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers.”
Group 4 – What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Psalm 119:31 – “I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!”
2 John 1:6 – “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.”
Ephesians 6:1-3 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.””
1 John 3:22 – “And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”
Hebrews 5:8 – “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”
Acts 5:32 – “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Joshua 22:5 – “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
James 2:17 – “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Group 5 – What The Bible Says About Obedience To God
Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
Luke 6:46-48 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
John 13:17 – “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Proverbs 19:16 – “Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.”
James 2:24 – “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
James 2:26 – “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
Psalm 119:112 – “I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 – “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Group 6 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
Colossians 3:20 – “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
Proverbs 10:8 – “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.“
Psalm 99:7 – “In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.”
Psalm 119:100-102 – “I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.”
Leviticus 26:3-13 – “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. …”
Group 7 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
1 Samuel 15:22-23 – 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. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Colossians 3:22 – “Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.”
Matthew 9:9 – “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”
John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Galatians 6:2 – “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Romans 6:17 – “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,”
Philippians 2:12 – “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”
Group 8 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
John 5:30 – “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 – “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.”
Joshua 5:6 – “For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Joshua 22:2 – And said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you.”
Proverbs 16:7 – “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Romans 13:1 – “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
Group 9 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
2 John 1:6-9 – “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Luke 2:51 – “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”
Genesis 49:10 – “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Matthew 19:17 – And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
Proverbs 6:20 – “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.”
Group 10 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
Psalm 119:2 – “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,”
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Luke 12:38 – “If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!”
Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
John 8:31-32 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Romans 12:1 – “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Luke 8:15 – “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
Psalm 103:18 – “To those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”
1 John 2:17 – “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Psalm 119:129 – “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.”
Group 11 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
Psalm 103:20 – “Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!”
Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”
Luke 1:6 – “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”
1 John 5:2-3 – “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
Group 12 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
Romans 7:12 – “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-68 – “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field, Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. …”
Group 13 – What Does The Bible Say About Obedience To God?
Matthew 25:20-23 – “And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”
