Levels of Obedience

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence … “  (Php 2:12, NIV)

Obedience is a heart issue. When I was a child, I obeyed my earthly father out of fear and concern of what would happen to me if I didn’t. As I got older, I realized obedience was for my own good. As I continued to mature, obeying was more a matter of not wanting to disappoint my parents. This is still not the level of obedience God has called us to.

God calls us to a higher level of obedience, a mature obedience. When I first came to Christ, I obeyed out of fear and concern of what would happen to me if I didn’t. As I got older, I realized obedience was for my own good. As I continued to mature, obeying was more a matter of not wanting to disappoint God. Eventually I came to a place where because of my love for God, I didn’t want to do anything to offend Him or hinder my relationship with Him. 

When I was a child and my father was around I would be obedient to his requirements.  f he went somewhere, maybe I would be obedient and maybe I wouldn’t. In our verse today, Paul is calling the believers to a higher level of obedience. He says “as you have been obedient in my presence, now be obedient in my absence.”

“Respond in my absence, just as you would if I was there among you.” The obedience Paul is talking about is the kind that is a “working out” of what God has “put in”. There are things that accompany salvation, and these things are to be evidenced in our lives. Not because Paul is there, or a preacher, or Sunday school teacher, or school teacher, or a policeman, or fireman, or Mom, or Dad, but because there has been a change wrought in our heart and we want to do what is right. And we want to do it not because of fear of punishment, but because of love, appreciation, and awe.

You see, God is doing something inside of us. He is giving us the desire to act in accordance with His Word. And as if that wasn’t enough, He is also giving us the ability to do the things He wants us to!  Php 2:12-13 from the NIV Bible says:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Passing On

“ …I desire to depart …”  (Php 1:23, NIV)

Have you ever just wanted to die? I am not talking about being suicidal here, so don’t freak on me. I’m just talking about life getting tough enough that you are ready to go on. I have even had a one sided conversation with God about it.

“That’s it Lord! I’m outta here!  You might as well just take me on.”

Now I haven’t ever made plans about making it happen, or daydreamed about it, but I have been frustrated enough to just be ready to go on to heaven. I have also talked to enough people to know I am not alone. There are others who have arrived at this point a time or two in their lives. You may be one of those people, so I want to share my take on this with you.

First let’s look at Philippians 1:21-24 in the NIV Bible:

(21)For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22)If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (23)I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; (24)but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

Even Paul was torn between the desire to live and the desire to go. In verse 23 in the NLT Bible, Paul writes: “I'm torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ.” One of the difference between Paul and us is the reason for it.

Paul didn’t want to die to escape this life or hardships, he was so in love with Jesus that he just wanted to be with Him. Paul was also aware that to live on in this life would be beneficial to others, while to go would be beneficial to himself.

He wrote in the end of verse 23 , of dying, and in verse 24, of living,: “That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live.”

We need to remember in tough times that it is not about us. Also our lives have the potential to bring benefit to others. I have always thought it would be a sign of maturity to want to die because of love for and the desire to be with Christ instead of wanting to die to escape circumstances. The desire to escape is selfish, but it is ok to look forward to living in Christ’s presence forever.