by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n
We serve what we love, and we obey what we serve.<\/p>\nWhat does that mean? It is possible to be coerced into obedience, but this is not love. However, when we love something or someone, we serve, and in serving, we obey. I believe the word “obey” and its cognates say more than what we sometimes indicate. Obedience is not just about strict adherence to commandments. While we will want to adhere to whatever commandments are given, obedience, as a concept, is bigger than this.
\nThe term translated “obey” (\u1f51\u03c0\u03b1\u03ba\u03bf\u03cd\u03c9) is used variously. It can mean to obey instructions, to follow, be subject to, to listen and grant a request, and even to answer a door (as in Acts 12:13, BDAG). In choosing to obey, we are not just following strict commands; we are committing ourselves to the life that serves the calling (cf. Ephesians 4:1). Yet we all know that we won’t commit unless we truly love what we are serving.\n
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments<\/em>” (John 14:15). It is true that if we are not keeping His commandments, we cannot claim to love Him. Yet is there not more to loving Him than just obeying commandments? Isn’t it possible that one obeys commandments in a strict, ritualistic way and yet still not love Him?<\/p>\n Obeying, serving, and submitting are related concepts, and I believe their interconnection helps shape our understanding of ourselves as disciples of Christ. Let’s think further:<\/p>\n First, what we serve reveals where our heart is, and where our heart is, in turn, shows what we love. Jesus taught that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also<\/em>” (Matthew 6:19-21). Then, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money<\/em>” (Matthew 6:24). Notice that Jesus ties together what we love with what we serve. We cannot serve these two masters because we cannot love both. If we lay up treasures on earth, we show that’s where our heart is, and that’s what we will serve because it’s what we love.<\/p>\n Second, when we give ourselves over to something, we are obeying it. Paul argues in Romans 6 that Christians are to consider themselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Then, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace<\/em>” (Romans 6:12-14). By letting sin reign in our mortal body, we are obeying its passions. We obey what we have given ourselves over to, whether to sin or to God.<\/p>\n Next, read Romans 6:15-18. We are the servants of what we obey. If we are serving sin, then we are obeying it, even though sin is not listing off technical commandments. Instead, we give ourselves over to it, allowing it to rule our lives. That’s obedience. The same principle applies to serving God. By submitting to His will, we become obedient from the heart to that standard of teaching to which we are committed. Obedience, here, is about what we are committed to and the purposes we are serving.<\/p>\n Third, everyone obeys something. Everyone serves something or someone. Terms like “obey” and “submit” are considered too authoritarian for today’s culture, but the reality is that everyone obeys and submits to something. When we recognize that this is not just about technically carrying out commands, but involves a deeper sense of commitment and way of life, of opening the door to, welcoming, and serving something, then perhaps the point becomes more obvious. We might live in submission and obedience to politics, recreation, or any number of cultural causes to which we are freely giving ourselves. In doing this, we seek the advantage of the cause and are willing to sacrifice ourselves for it. We are doing more than obeying commands; we are subjecting ourselves to the ideals and commitments that the cause entails. We do so gladly when we love something. This is why John could say, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome<\/em>” (I John 5:3).<\/p>\n Think, then, how this fits the two greatest commands to love God and to love neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). If we love God, then we are committed to Him, His cause (Kingdom), His way, and will. This is a life of obedience based on love. If we love our neighbor, we submit ourselves to them and seek to meet their needs. This, too, is a form of obedience. In fact, we can draw out how this works in any number of relationships (marriage, parenting, etc.). When we love, we commit and serve. We obey as a way of living for that cause.<\/p>\n To what, then, are we giving ourselves? Where is our heart? What are we serving and loving?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Doy Moyer We serve what we love, and we obey what we serve. What does that mean? It is possible to be coerced into obedience, but this is not love. However, when we love something or someone, we serve, and in serving, we obey. I believe the word “obey” and its cognates say more…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[65,54,574],"class_list":["post-88756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-love","tag-obedience","tag-service"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":37861,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/god-and-the-concept-of-patterns\/","url_meta":{"origin":88756,"position":0},"title":"God and the Concept of Patterns","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer The nature of typology shows that God is a God of patterns. Without even going through a process of trying to \"establish\" authority, God shows through His overall record that He is a God of patterns. This is evident right from the beginning when God made a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23011,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-know-i-sin-so-how-can-i-obey-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":88756,"position":1},"title":"I know I sin so how can I obey God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 22, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read your article regarding\u00a0the role of obedience in salvation.\u00a0 Very interesting. I would have to agree with some of your take on obedience as long as it doesn't take away from the redeeming work of Christ. How does one deal with a difference of opinion on what obedience\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":86019,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-relationship-between-worship-and-obedience\/","url_meta":{"origin":88756,"position":2},"title":"The Relationship Between Worship and Obedience","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Vance E. Trefethen Have you ever heard someone say that worship and obedience are essentially the same thing or that every act of obedience is an act of worship? I've heard these concepts expressed privately by Christians and even taught publicly. 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As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68522,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-legalist\/","url_meta":{"origin":88756,"position":5},"title":"You Legalist!","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dave Hart \"You\u2026you\u2026 legalist!!\" I remember the first time I was called a legalist. It was not a compliment. The response was given after I had shown what the Bible commands on a particular subject. 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