Obedience Is Not Optional: What Happens When Christians Stop Obeying Jesus

This is Part 9 of an 18-part series drawn from Kurt Olson's book, The Endgame of God. New posts publish every Wednesday at  GoMultiply.org/blog.

SERIES NOTE: This picks up where “How Should We Live as Disciples of Jesus?” left off on our blog. If you haven’t read that, start there — then come back, because I want to take you through four passages that show why obedience is essential to the life of a follower of Christ. 

The Bible draws a sharp line between those who hear God’s Word and obey it and those who hear it and don’t. The difference is far more serious than most of us were ever taught.

We’re going to look at four passages one after the other and ask you an honest question at the end of each one. The question is always the same: what does it say about the person who hears God’s Word and obeys it, and about the one who hears the word of God but doesn’t obey it?

Start with the two builders. “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24). When the storm came, that house stood. But the man who heard the very same words and did not put them into practice built on sand, “anyone who hears these words but does not put them into practice is like a fool who built on sand (with no foundation) it will collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:27). Same sermon. Same Savior. Same words to apply to life. The only difference between standing and collapsing, between being wise and being a fool, was obedience versus disobedience. 

Now, in John 14:23–24. Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” Obedience, in Jesus’ own words, is how love for Him proves it is real — and it is the way to insure the abiding presence of Jesus and His Father in our lives. This passage also makes it clear that if we don’t obey Him, it indicates that we don’t really love Him. 

And finally, look at 1 John 2:3–6: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Anyone who says ‘I know Him’ but doesn’t obey Him, is a liar, and the truth is not in them.” Here obedience is tied to assurance of salvation — the settled confidence that we actually know God. While the person who doesn’t obey is a liar with no assurance of salvation!

Put all four together and a common theme runs through them all. The obedient person is wise, with a firm foundation, loves God, is loved by God, has the abiding presence of God the Father and God the Son, is blessed by God in all they do, and has assurance of salvation. Those who hear the word but choose not to obey it are lying, unloving, self-deceived fools with no foundation for life and no assurance of salvation for the next life! The matter of obedience vs. disobedience could not be more serious.

Now for the part that ought to make us all tremble a little. In Matthew 7:21–23 — the same sermon and right before the two builders — Jesus says that many who called Him “Lord, Lord,” and even prophesied and performed miracles in His name, will hear Him say, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.” We saw this in an earlier post, but it belongs here too, because of who these people are. Of all the religions on earth, only Christians call Jesus “Lord.” He is not describing people of other religions. He is describing religious insiders — churchgoers, even miracle-workers — who used His name but never actually knew Him. Knowing about Jesus, and even doing impressive things in His name, is not the same as knowing Him and following and obeying Him. 

Please hear me very clearly, because this is where many people stumble in one of two directions. Obedience does not earn your salvation. Jesus paid for that in full on the cross; you cannot add a thing to it. But obedience is the evidence of salvation — the fruit that shows the root is alive. A tree that never bears any fruit at all should make us wonder whether it is really alive. Genuine faith and genuine obedience are never separated, because the faith that results in salvation is the faith that produces obedience.

And this is not a one-time thing. It requires daily surrender. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Daily. Not once at an altar years ago. Not weekly or when it is convenient. Daily.

Here is something I often suggest people do, and it changes their lives. Go through the 4 Gospels and make a written list of all the commands of Jesus you find there — the things He plainly told His followers to do — and then commit, in writing, to obey each one as He gives you the opportunity. Something happens when you move a command from “I know that” to “I have decided to do that.”

So be honest with yourself: are you in the habit of obeying all of  Jesus' commands, or just knowing some of them? Name one command you already know but have not yet obeyed — and make a plan to begin obeying it this week?