Forced Obedience

Mark 10:18 …Jesus Answered, "No one is good-except God alone."...

Life offers many opportunities to be obedient. We are called to obey God, parents teachers, and people of authority. There are laws, rules, precepts, decrees, and many others that strongly suggest obedience. So why do we choose to obey these people and their rules? Is it because we want to avoid punishment embarrassment, and retribution? Or perhaps we desire to maintain a "good" facade to be acknowledged or rewarded based on merit?

Leviticus 20 is riddled with rules, laws, and decrees that strongly suggest a person’s accountability. It would first appear that the law is the reason for the decision to obey but perhaps the reason for obeying lies in the consequences.  For example in Leviticus 20:9 if a person dishonors his father or mother, he is to be taken outside the city and stoned. Each person has to make the decision to obey the law therefore forcing that person to follow a set of rules so that, in this instance, they can keep their life.

In the New Testament, Mark 10:17, we see the story of the rich young man who comes running and falls on his knees before Jesus Christ and asks "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Do you hear the resemblance to the attitude towards the law in the Old Testament? What must I do to avoid death or punishment? The rich young man claims to have lived his entire life following the 10 commandments, the law. Jesus Christ, in love, points out the thing the young man lacked. Upon hearing Jesus' words the man's face fell and he went away sad.

The rich young man was forcing his obedience and relying on his own ability to keep the commandments (see Romans 3:23).  He lacked the most important thing of all and that was the total reliance on God, who is the only one who can give eternal life.

Have you fallen on your knees before Jesus and asked what it is He wants for your life? Are you willing to give up everything for Him? When you truly believe that Jesus Christ is your savior, because he died on the cross and was resurrected from death, you will no longer need to force obedience for the Lord. Instead, it will bring you great pleasure to obey.

Suggested Scripture Readings - Lev 20:7, Ps 44:25-26, Rom 3:23,Rom 7:18-20, 1 Thess 5:23

 -AG