Obedience and motivations
If Jesus could chat with us, what might he say? The Gospels reveal he might address many different topics. When it comes to obeying God, how we answer two questions would likely determine what Jesus would tell us.
Before we consider the two questions, we ought to remind ourselves that Jesus emphasized complete obedience.
- “… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20)
- “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
- “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)
- “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)
- “Blessed … are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke) 11:28
Obedience matters. So, our first question is simple. Are we obeying God’s word?
The answer might not be as obvious as we first think. Remember the Pharisees. They were confident about their obedience. Yet, Jesus pointed to some problems.
The Pharisees’ forefathers had handed down to them some really great sounding guidance about serving God. Those human inspired teachings made a lot of sense.
Yet, Jesus said there was a problem. He asserted that if someone followed those traditions he would end up disobeying God! Jesus accused them of nullifying God’s word by human traditions! (Mark 7:13).
What about us? Do we hold onto good sounding sophisticated reasoning from educated individuals that can lead us to ignore Biblical teachings? Are we obeying God’s word?
There was a second aspect of obedience that seems to have caught the Pharisees off guard. On the one hand, Jesus commended their obedience in obeying even minute details. The Pharisees correctly tithed even from their herb garden (Matthew 23:23).
Yet, Jesus accused them for failing to be completely obedient. They had neglected practicing the larger greater aspects of the Law like mercy and justice (Matthew 23:23).
Do we obey God in both the most important principles as well as the smallest details? Sometimes people today suggest we can skip the details. They insist that obeying the details would be legalism. Yet, Jesus taught we are to obey both the great principles as well as the small details.
Unfortunately some today regard obedience as legalism. Jesus did not.
The charge of legalism bring us to a second question about obedience. Why do we obey? What is our motivation? Are we obeying to gain a righteous status or because we want to serve our Master?
Although scripture never mentions either legalism or being legalistic, Jesus did address the fruit of this mindset. Legalism is a mindset, a motivation for being obedient. Obedience need not be legalistic.
When people view their obedience as earning them a status, reward or righteousness, then their obedience can become a source of self-righteousness. These feelings can promote a condescending disapproval of others. Jesus condemned such attitudes (Luke 18:9,11).
We must not forget Jesus promoted complete obedience. What he did not approve were those self-righteous attitudes and actions from a misguided mindset. Jesus taught a mindset that focuses upon obeying God as doing one’s duty. No room for self-righteousness exists in this mindset.
“When you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10).
Sometimes today, people may confuse obedience with legalism. They might condemn others who obey as being legalistic thus justifying their own disobedience. Legalism, however, is a mindset. To simply seek to obey our Master whether it be in large matters or small is not legalistic. Obedience matters.
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