Assumption #11 Just doing the right thing is more important than why I
do it.
(or more spiritually phrased: Obedience is the key to Christian life.)
1. Those who teach the "Just do it" philosophy use passages like Romans
2:13 and James 1:22-25 to support this position. But this is not
complete view of a successful Christian life, because the "Just do it" view
holds that God looks far more at our actions than our motives and internal
spiritual state.
2. There should be no argument that it is good to obey the law; However,
there should be reflection upon just how this is accomplished in the life
of a Christian.
3. The Hebrew word shema is translated "to hear" more than eight
hundred times in the OT. The Hebrew language doesn’t distinguish much between
hearing and responding. Exodus 24:7, Isaiah 42:24
4. Not only do we shema God, but He 'shemas' us. Psalms
4:1, 34:17
5. The Greek word akouo, translated "to hear" in the NT,
does not have the connotation that those who hear respond. Matthew 7:24,
Acts 12:13. So, we have passages like Romans 2:13 &
James 1:22 to tell us that true hearing requires a response.
6. Obedience always has a purpose. Deuteronomy 5:33, 6:24, 10:13
7. God is not a control addict. Obedience is our response to the Fathering
of God. Psalm 32:8
8. As we mature, we shift from specific commands to a structure for
living. Hebrews 5:12-14, Ps. 119:11
Why Obedience for the Sake of Obedience is not Biblical.
1. It substitutes sacrifice for true obedience. Matthew 9:13
2. It ignores the wholeness or integrity of a person. Isaiah 29:13
3. It discourages asking the question, "why?" Philippians 2:12-13.
Beware of authority figures who demand instant, unquestioned obedience. Not
only do they not represent the character of God, but they probably have something
to lose (such as control over you) by you having information.
4. It promotes lying. Matthew 21:28,30
5. It denies our fallenness. 1 John 1:8. We struggle (Romans
7:15,) yet Jesus blessed poverty of spirit (Matthew 5:3.)
6. It devalues the power of the cross in our lives.
The Safety Net called Grace.
1. We learn by practice. Hebrews 5:14. We are free to practice
and as a result, get better.
2. Obedience, free from compulsion and/or fear, is obedience
that is truly worth something because it is both honest and freely given
to God because we recognize Him as the One who is deserving of it.
Philippians 3:8, Hosea 6:6, Psalms 136