THE OBEDIENCE THAT GOD REQUIRES

A CALL TO FAITH IN CHRIST

BY

Gary Ray Branscome

“Be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect”

(Matthew 5:48).

God’s Law requires absolute perfection! However, do not assume that I will be urging you achieve perfection by keeping a few rules. On the contrary, rule keeping falls far short of what God requires. No matter how many rules we keep, no matter how hard we try, “If we say that we do not have any sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1John 1:8). Therefore, to understand what God requires you need to understand the difference between the external “obedience” of this world, and the inner obedience that God wants. And, that difference is illustrated most clearly by the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

In Luke 18:10-14 we read, “Two men went up to the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood up and prayed thus to himself, God, I thank you, that I am not like other men are, extortioners, evil doers, adulterers, or even like this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of everything I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not even look up to heaven, but beat upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.

In this parable, the Pharisee was doing all that the world requires and more. Every godly ruler would love to have those under their authority keep all of the rules the Pharisee claimed to be keeping. If that was the case there would be no crime, and life would be far more pleasant. However, God was not impressed. For, “the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1Samuel 16:7). And, in the eyes of God, all of the outward show that the Pharisee prided himself in was no better than “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

What God Requires

To understand what God requires, we need to look at the publican. The very fact that the publican was in the Temple pleading for mercy tells us that he was a conscientious man who wanted to do what was right. He may have been keeping many of the same rules that the Pharisee was keeping. However, the Pharisee, and many in that society, had only contempt for him because he was collecting taxes for the hated Roman conquers. We all need to support our families. And, many of you know how hard it can be to find a good paying job. Those who agreed to collect taxes for the Romans, even though they knew their fellow Jews would hate them for it, may well have been driven to take that job by desperation. There was nothing in the Law of Moses that forbade it. However, possibly because of the condemnation he endured, his conscience was burdened. He longed for assurance of God’s mercy. And, seeking God’s mercy is key to the obedience that God requires.

The Law was not given to make us righteous, but to show us our need for God’s forgiveness and mercy. As it is written, “The knowledge of sin comes by the law” (Romans 3:20). And, the sacrifices that the Law of Moses called for were not instituted to make men righteous, but to train God’s people to seek His mercy. That is what is meant by the words, “I wanted mercy, not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). “A heart that is humbled and sorry for sin,” coupled with faith in Christ is the obedience that God requires (Psalm 51:17).

Even though God’s Law requires us to seek His mercy, the cleansing that washes away our sins, making us righteous, and therefore truly obedient, in the sight of God does not come just because we ask for it, but because we believe God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ Jesus. As it is written, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness [obedience] to every one who believes:” // “and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us of all sin” (Romans 10:4, 1John 1:7).

Washed in the Blood of the Lamb

In order to better understand what I am saying I want you to try to visualize your sins being washed away by the blood of Christ. Close your eyes if necessary and picture all of your sins being washed away. Picture a cleansing flood coming in, swirling all around you and washing away every filthy stain. Picture that flood flowing right through you, washing away every foul thought and every evil desire so that you begin to shine with a righteous glow. Picture yourself standing before God radiant with holiness: radiant, not because of your works, but because every sin has been washed away. That is true obedience! That is how God sees us when we trust in Christ! That is the perfect righteousness of Christ Himself. And, nothing that we do, no set of rules that we keep, could ever improve one bit on such perfection. As it is written, “By one offering He has perfected for ever those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

Once we are righteous in the sight of God through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and we become new creatures. As it is written, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2Corinthians 5:17). Furthermore, the knowledge that we are righteous through faith in Christ becomes a motivation to continue in righteousness. I am not talking about keeping the law, but about walking in a clean conscience by doing what we know in our heart is right and good (Job 27:5-6). Having been cleansed of all sin by the blood of Christ, our desire is to do what is right, and what brings honor to Christ. Yes, we will still have sinful desires. But, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and they are opposed to each other: so that you cannot do the things that you would” (Galatians 5:17).

Because the Bible tells us that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us,” it should be clear that the only people who truly “keep” God’s Commandments are those who, like the publican, humbly acknowledge their sin and while trusting in God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ (1John 1:9-10). Those who, like the Pharisee, blind themselves to their own sin are not keeping God’s Commandments, but instead are ignoring them.

The words, “You shall 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, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. // For this, You will not commit adultery, You will not kill, You will not steal, You will not bear false witness, You will not covet; and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, You will love your neighbor as yourself,” tell us that once we have been freed from the condemnation of the Law through faith in Christ our motivation for doing what is right changes (Matthew 22:37-40, Romans 13:9). Instead of being motivated by fear of punishment, we should be motivated by love.

And, because our motivation in doing God’s will is “Love”, when the Bible says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord,” it should be obvious that God does not want a grudging submission, or submission out of fear, but a loving submission that is cheerful in doing God’s will. (Ephesians 5:22). Likewise, the words, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” make it clear that God does not want husbands to tyrannize their wives, or enforce brutal submission. (Ephesians 5:25). Instead, they should care for their wives in love, being kind and considerate. As it is written, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and yelling, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Conclusion

Because we love Jesus and appreciate the righteousness we have in Him, we love that which is right and good and pure in His sight. In fact, because those who walk by faith avoid all that appears evil, the behavior of those who have been freed from the law is better (not worse) than the behavior of those who try to make themselves obedient by keeping rules, yet constantly make excuses when they fall short.