Obedience: Fear, or Love?

Spirituality Column #63
January 22, 2008
Current! In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Obedience: Fear, or Love?
By Bob Walters

To obey God, or not to obey God, isn’t really the question.

But … if you are inclined to obey … do you obey God out of love, or out of fear?

Now there’s a question.

Obedience in the religious sphere is the active exercise of ones faith. It’s where the rubber meets the road of our faith journey. Whether the load is heavy or light, I think, is governed by fear on the one hand, and love on the other.

Christian obedience is especially tough. Old covenant, new covenant. The 10 Commandments (Deuteronomy 5). The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-6-7).

God seems to be saying in the Old Testament: Obey my Laws or face my wrath. What he is really saying is: I will be faithful, no matter what.

In the New Testament, Jesus says He alone is the way (John 14:3) to God; to have faith, and to obey his commands. Paul says we are saved through God’s grace by faith alone, and that the Law brings wrath (Romans 4). James says faith without deeds is dead (James 2:26).

Then there is freedom, which further muddies the waters of obedience. Christ came to set us free of our sin. God gave us free will so we could love Him (love is an act of free will, not coercion); that is, if we decide – with that same free will – to even recognize Him.

And … if we are free, why do we have to obey anything?

It’s confusing, and open to great interpretation. That’s why there are so many churches. The bride of Christ, it would seem, has many gowns.

When Christians obey God out of fear, that faith usually seems to be accompanied by great doses of guilt, judgment, condemnation and the like. God is wrathful. The Bible is a rulebook. A heavy yoke.

When we obey God out of love, then our faith tends to look more like the peace, patience, kindness (“fruits of the spirit”) list in Galatians 5:22-23. Christ is our companion. Our whole trust is in God. The yoke is light.

We can be tossed about by the stormy seas of life’s turmoil regardless, but the love-or-fear nature of our relationship with God determines the roughness of the ride.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes candidly that it is easier to discuss obedience than to actually be obedient. Mea culpa.