Levels Of Obedience

Obedience comes from hearing, watching, and putting into practice the things the instructor has given us to do. There are 3 levels of obedience. The highest level is when obedience comes out of love. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." The highest form of obedience is when we want to obey out of love. This passionate love will cause us to obey at the highest level possible. We will want to please our Master and go above and beyond what is asked to please the Master. This kind of love will make us a better spouse, parent, employee, etc. But not always are we motivated out of passionate love. The second level is obedience is obeying because it is the right thing to do. Not too often do we wake up to the alarm with a passionate love for our job. But we get up and go to work because it is the right thing to do, and the consequences of not doing it are too high. Jesus prayed before the cross, that if there was any other way... but nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done. He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Hebrews says that He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Jesus told the story of a man who had 2 sons. He told them both to go work in the vineyard. The first said that he would not go, and after regretted this, and went and worked. The second son said that he would go, but did not. Then Jesus asked the question, "Which one did the will of his father?" The first one, though he was disobedient, became obedient, not because he really wanted to, but because it was the right thing to do. The lowest level of obedience is when we are forced to obey and have no other option. Forced obedience is not obedience from the heart. Our goal is obedience, both because of passionate love, and because it is the right thing to do. Better to obey than to sacrifice. Obedience is the test we must strive to pass.