Obedience
As children of God, we know that we are to obey God the Father. Unfortunately, some children think they’re obeying their Father when in reality, they are not. For, you see, there are different kinds of obedience.
External Obedience As every parent, teacher, and pastor knows there is an external obedience that is without the proper internal attitude. An example is the story of the mother who told her child to stand in the corner as punishment for his disobedience. The little boy promptly marched to the corner and stood instead of sitting. The mother said, “I told you to sit.” Her son remained standing. Again, this time with raised volume she said, “I told you to sit.” He stayed standing—in defiance. When the mother threatened worse punishment than standing in the corner if he didn’t sit, he sat, but said in a voice his mother could not hear, “I’m sitting but in my heart I’m still standing.”
The Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (Isa. 29:13; see also Mt. 15:8). The Lord’s complaint is that their hearts were not where they should be. Obedience is an inside job.
Legal Obedience There is also an internal obedience that is not exactly what God wants. This is legal obedience. It is obedience to rules and regulations. In legal obedience the focusis on the law, not on the
Lord. This kind of obedience produces pride. The little boy in the corner sits and is proud of his sitting.
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
Loving Obedience The internal attitude the Lord is looking for is love. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (Jn. 14:21) and “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”(Jn. 14:23). Obey the Lord—from
your heart.
© 2013 G. Michael Cocoris, 8/27/2013
External Obedience As every parent, teacher, and pastor knows there is an external obedience that is without the proper internal attitude. An example is the story of the mother who told her child to stand in the corner as punishment for his disobedience. The little boy promptly marched to the corner and stood instead of sitting. The mother said, “I told you to sit.” Her son remained standing. Again, this time with raised volume she said, “I told you to sit.” He stayed standing—in defiance. When the mother threatened worse punishment than standing in the corner if he didn’t sit, he sat, but said in a voice his mother could not hear, “I’m sitting but in my heart I’m still standing.”
The Lord said: ‘Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (Isa. 29:13; see also Mt. 15:8). The Lord’s complaint is that their hearts were not where they should be. Obedience is an inside job.
Legal Obedience There is also an internal obedience that is not exactly what God wants. This is legal obedience. It is obedience to rules and regulations. In legal obedience the focusis on the law, not on the
Lord. This kind of obedience produces pride. The little boy in the corner sits and is proud of his sitting.
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
Loving Obedience The internal attitude the Lord is looking for is love. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (Jn. 14:21) and “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”(Jn. 14:23). Obey the Lord—from
your heart.
© 2013 G. Michael Cocoris, 8/27/2013