Do We Have to Obey?

In classrooms and Internet discussion boards, many are asking, “Do we have to obey?” The question is prompted by a concern that the Bible’s teaching on grace seems to contradict the many verses that require us to obey God’s commands.

In particular, it sounds to many as though “we’re saved by faith” contradicts the plain requirements that we must obey God’s commands.

To have an intelligent conversation on the subject–and it’s an important one–we must make two points.

First, we are not talking about baptism. Baptism is something other than mere obedience to God’s commands.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

You see, baptizing converts is different from teaching obedience to commandments. Moreover, in discussing obedience, we are talking about the obedience required of the saved–a very different question from the obedience required of the lost.

Second, we have to pause to define “obedience.” For example, some use “obedience” to mean actually comply with all God’s commands, known and unknown.

Others mean: have an obedient heart, making obedience equivalent to repentance.

In conventional Church of Christ theology, we ask our converts to repent, not to become sinless. The standard is that they should turn from sin and toward Jesus as Lord, making him Lord of their lives.

Anyone who genuinely repents will try to do God’s will—as well as he knows to do it. But no one is capable of perfectly obeying or of obeying commands he’s not aware of.

Plainly, we we were require perfect obedience, none of us would be saved at all.

The word often usually translated “obey” is hupakoe, derived from “to hear under” and most literally refers to being compliant or submissive.

Sometimes we impose a double standard. For some sin, being penitent or compliant is enough. If we occasionally lapse into lust or materialism, we consider ourselves nonetheless walking in the light, as God surely overlooks human weakness (and he does).

But for an emotionally charged issue, like instrumental music, we find no room for grace, as those using the instruments haven’t stopped sinning.

Hence, we have certain “mortal sins” that can only be forgiven when we become aware of the sin, confess, repent, and stop the practice altogether.

However, there’s a second class of sins, let’s call them “venial sins,” which we can commit even aware that we are sinning in so doing and yet remain in grace. Hence, if we don’t give as we should, volunteer as we should, evangelize our neighbors as we should, or control our lusts as we should, we are confident of God’s forgiveness.

I think the correct meaning of “obey,” as used in the Bible, is about the same as “be penitent” or “submit to Jesus as Lord,” rather than “get it right or go to hell.” And this applies to both moral and doctrinal error—for those who’ve been saved.

There’s no reason to make a distinction between grace as it applies to doctrine vs. how it applies to sins “of the flesh.” After all, our brains are part of our flesh and our intellect is no more perfectible than the rest of our flesh.

Therefore, all sins–by a saved person–are subject to the same grace. And so–do we have to obey? Yes.

For saved people, will God forgive sins committed out of ignorance or the weakness of the flesh? Yes–if we remain obedient, as we pledge to do when we were first saved.

PS — Here’s an interesting, related article: Biblical_Obedience