Digging For Truth : Obedience (Separate page)

Great blessings were promised to Israel on condition of obedience to the Lord's directions. "I will give you rain in due season," He declared, "and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. . . . I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people. . . . But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; and . . . ye break My covenant: . . . ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you." Leviticus 26:4-17. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 535.1

Christ's obedience

+ Obedience that Christ rendered ( 4 )

+ Obedience of Christ ( 87 ) > Obedience of Christ to His Father

+ Willing Obedience ( 242 )

+ Christ gave us an example of obedience ( 4 )

O b e y ( 2 RELATED PHASES )

+ obey the divine statutes ( 9 )

+ Obey the call ( 38 ) > Obey the call of God

My personal favorites

The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, the expression of divine love and wisdom. The harmony of creation depends upon the perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator. God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral law. To man, the crowning work of creation, God has given power to understand His requirements, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law, and its sacred claims upon him; and of man unswerving obedience is required. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 52.3

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us. { DA 668.3}

God does not force the will or judgment of any. He takes no pleasure in a slavish obedience. He desires that the creatures of His hands shall love Him because He is worthy of love. He would have them obey Him because they have an intelligent appreciation of His wisdom, justice, and benevolence. And all who have a just conception of these qualities will love Him because they are drawn toward Him in admiration of His attributes. Great Controversy, page 541.3

He continued his strict and self-denying life, not now as the ground, but the result of faith; not the root, but the fruit of holiness. The grace of God in Christ is the foundation of the Christian's hope, and that grace will be manifested in obedience. Wesley's life was devoted to the preaching of the great truths which he had received -- justification through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, and the renewing power of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, bringing forth fruit in a life conformed to the example of Christ. {GC 256.3}

Such is the sure result of neglect to appreciate and improve the light and privileges which God bestows. Unless the church will follow on in His opening providence, accepting every ray of light, performing every duty which may be revealed, religion will inevitably degenerate into the observance of forms, and the spirit of vital godliness will disappear. This truth has been repeatedly illustrated in the history of the church. God requires of His people works of faith and obedience corresponding to the blessings and privileges bestowed. Obedience requires a sacrifice and involves a cross; and this is why so many of the professed followers of Christ refused to receive the light from heaven, and, like the Jews of old, knew not the time of their visitation. Luke 19:44. Because of their pride and unbelief the Lord passed them by and revealed His truth to those who, like the shepherds of Bethlehem and the Eastern Magi, had given heed to all the light they had received. Great Controversy, page 316.1 Read Entire Chapter 17

God has given us probationary time in order that it may be made manifest whether we will be loyal, obedient children, rendering obedience to his commandments, his statutes, and his laws, or whether we will persist in following a course of disobedience, and prove ourselves unworthy of eternal life. Those who will be doers of the words of Christ will have their names written in the Lamb's book of life; but those who will not obey God's law after light has come to them from the holy Scriptures, will be written among those whose fate is to perish. For those who choose to follow the traditions of men, and are willing to be turned from the truth of God unto fables, and who train themselves to walk away from the path of God's commandments, and will not listen to the law of God, but take up with the vain excuses devised by man to continue in disobedience, would not listen to the voice of God in the heavenly courts, and would bring rebellion a second time into heaven. When the Father speaks, they hear him not; but their ears are open to hear the suggestions of the enemy of God and man. {RH, October 9, 1894 par. 9}

The Old and New Testaments are linked together by the golden clasp of God. We need to become familiar with the Old-Testament Scriptures. The unchangeableness of God should be clearly seen; the similarity of his dealings with his people of the past dispensation and of the present, should be studied. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, Solomon wrote, “That which hath been is now: and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.” Eccl. 3:15 In mercy God repeats his past dealings. He has given us a record of his dealings in the past. This we need to study carefully; for history is repeating itself. We are more accountable than were those whose experience is recorded in the Old Testament; for their mistakes, and the results of those mistakes, have been chronicled for our benefit. The danger-signal has been lifted to keep us off forbidden ground, and we should be warned not to do as they did, lest a worse punishment come upon us. The blessings given to those of past generations who obeyed God are recorded that we may be encouraged to walk circumspectly, in faith and obedience. The judgments brought against wrong-doers are delineated that we may fear and tremble before God. This Scripture biography is a great blessing. This precious instruction, the experience of ages, is bequeathed to us. { RH April 20, 1897, par. 14 }

Note: Numbers shown in ( ) is the ( number of texts ) containing this phrase

Return to Selected Quotations by EGW page

Obedience (Separate page)

o b e d i e n c e ( 30 RELATED PHASES )

O b e y ( 2 RELATED PHASES )

Related Information