DEALING with obedience under the New Testament has to be understood in relation with the finished or accomplished work of Christ.
The question is: Are we called to obey the Word of God or enjoy or enter into Jesus Christ’s obedience?
One may quickly conclude that we’re advocating for rebellion. No, we are not. There are many pertinent and arising issues we should address.
A straight answer deprives us of the knowledge needed in the faith. Remember please how Jesus responded with parables to address seemingly simple questions.
There was need for the Mosaic Law to be fulfilled. The Bible tells us that it was meant to be done by Jesus Christ.
We read Hebrews 10:6-7, “[6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
This is emphatically repeated in Hebrews 10:8-9, “[8] Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; [9] Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”
Jesus was [is] the will of God the Father that we may walk in the blessing of His obedience. We’re therefore free from the curse accompanying disobedience of the Law.
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Jesus had already told us in Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
Having fulfilled the Law, it was done away with. That’s the discourse in Hebrews and Hebrews quoted Psalm 40:7-8, “[7] Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, [8] I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”
We don’t suffer double jeopardy by doing an obligation ably undertaken by Jesus.
We enjoy the dividends of the obedience of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:19, tells us, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Our righteousness is out of the obedience of Jesus. This is why there’s no commandment to the new creation or creature to obey.
Out of the obedience of Jesus, we do the Word. As new creation or believers, we’re Word practitioners.
We read James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
We’re not trying to obey the Word but we’re doers of it. It may appear to be mere semantics to some but it’s deeper than that.
Our natural habitat is the Word and we thrive in it. A quick example is fish in water. Fish just flow in water. We simply flow in the will of God because of the Word.
Apostle Peter clarifies in 1 Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
The Word is living or it’s alive and its life is expressed in, through and by us.
The previous verse tells us that we have already obeyed in the truth. 1 Peter 1:22, reads, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” That’s quite instructive, we obeyed when we received the Gospel. This is so because we walked into the obedience of Jesus Christ.
The more we read, study and meditate on the Word the more it produces the effect of aligning with it.
2 Corinthians 3:18, guides us, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We do the Word.
Knowledge of our identity, frees us from trying to be what or who we already are. Whatever we do under the New Covenant is as a result that there’s a supply by the grace of God in the finished work of Christ.
If we’re hammered into obedience, we’re being brought into condemnation which breeds sin consciousness. If we’re not careful we will be displaced from sonship back to slaves of the Law.
We know Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” We’re innocent, free from sin and we’re not guilty.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
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