A selection of verses showing how and why God asks for obedience.
God asks for obedience from his chosen people, the Israelites. He tells them that obedience will bring blessing on the nation, but disobedience will result in problems for them:
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from amongst all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
26 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn away out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
When confronted by the authorities, the apostle Peter makes his position clear:
18 They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves, 20 for we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard.”
27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Jesus Christ is our example of obeying God:
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
The letter to the Hebrews, talking about Jesus, says:
8 though he was a Son, yet learnt obedience by the things which he suffered.
These chapters have links to this theme:
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