Hi! This is Brother Scott with another Truth Time Look in the Book!
This is part 31 in my series, Bible Key Words and Meanings A-Z.
We move on to the letter, O.
The word today is, "Obedience."
All references are from the King James Bible.
I will be referencing a ton of verses during this lesson which by no means will be exhaustive because of time, so perhaps grab a cup of coffee, pause on each point, look up each verse mentioned, and perform a word search for more verses that apply to each point mentioned. It's a fascinating Bible study I hope you take some time to complete and learn right along with me.
What prompted me to compile this Bible study is seeing so many self-proclaimed Christians post messages that obviously reveal they have no clue what it means to rightly divide the word of truth. They mix law and grace all the time. And when I post a charitable correction, it largely goes completely ignored, and that's discouraging.
This study is my attempt to nail down what it means to rightly divide the word of truth as simply and thoroughly as possible with the Biblical word, obedience, as the basis.
Many people talk about obedience, but few stop to ask the most important questions: Obedience to what? Obedience for whom? Obedience in what Biblical context?
The Bible is 66 books of commands, covenants, promises, and instructions — but not all of them are addressed to the same people, in the same way, at the same time. If we fail to 2 Timothy 2:15 rightly divide the word of truth, we will end up obeying commands that were never given to us, ignoring commands that WERE given to us, and confusing law with grace, Israel with the Body of Christ, and prophecy with mystery.
Obedience is essential — but rightly divided obedience is transformational.
We should consider obedience in the context of rightly dividing the word of truth, which Paul instructed Timothy to do in 2 Timothy 2:15, and of course, that applies to us as well. Why? Because obedience begins with knowing what God actually said to YOU.
For all the following illustrations, look up additional relevant verses on your own. I will get you started with a couple of verses that correlate with each point.
Israel was given the following:
- A land: Genesis 12:7, 15:8, and 17:8
- The law: Psalm 147:19-20 and Romans 9:4
- A priesthood: Exodus 28:1 and Exodus 29:9
- A kingdom program: Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 17:14-15
- And covenants that were attached to Israel's physical obedience: Exodus 19:5 and Exodus 24:7-8
However, the Body of Christ is given:
- A heavenly position: Ephesians 1:3 and Ephesians 2:6
- A spiritual standing: Ephesians 1:6 and Romans 5:1-2
- A gospel of grace: Acts 20:24 and Galatians 1:11-12
- A mystery revealed to Paul: Romans 16:25 and 1 Corinthians 2:7
- And instructions for a new creature: 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Ephesians 4:22-24
Remember this:
You cannot obey what was never written to you.
You cannot claim promises that belong to another dispensation.
And you cannot mix law and grace and call it obedience.
Right division is not optional — it is actually the first act of obedience.
For Israel, obedience meant:
- Keeping the commandments: Deuteronomy 27:1
- Observing the feasts: Leviticus 23:2 & 4
- Offering sacrifices: Leviticus 1:2
- Maintaining ceremonial purity: Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 15:31
- And walking in statutes and ordinances: Leviticus 18:4
Blessing was physical.
Cursing was physical.
Obedience was national, visible, and covenant‑based.
Isaiah 1:19 “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”
That is Israel’s program — not ours.
Many Christians today are trying to obey commands that were never addressed to the Body of Christ.
They are trying to live under a covenant they were never placed under.
They are trying to earn blessings God never promised them.
Misplaced obedience leads to spiritual frustration.
Our apostle Paul is astonished in Galatians 4:9 when he asks, But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Paul could not wrap his head around the fact that so many fell into that trap.
Paul never tells the Body of Christ to keep the Law of Moses.
He never tells us to observe feast days.
He never tells us to bring sacrifices.
He never tells us to fear curses for disobedience.
Instead, he gives us a new kind of obedience — obedience to the faith.
This obedience is:
- Rooted in the gospel of grace: Colossians 2:7
- Empowered by the Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
- Motivated by gratitude: Colossians 3:15
- Directed by Pauline instruction: Galatians 1:12
- And focused on our identity in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Romans 6:17 says we “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine.”
Not tablets of stone — but doctrine revealed by Christ from heaven to Paul.
If you don't get anything else from this lesson, please get this:
Obedience in this dispensation is not about earning God’s favor.
It is about walking worthy of the favor already given to us.
The model of obedience is Christ himself.
Christ “became obedient unto death.” Philippians 2:8.
He obeyed the Father perfectly — not as a sinner trying to earn righteousness, but as the spotless Lamb fulfilling prophecy.
Christ's obedience:
- Fulfilled the Law: Matthew 5:17 and Romans 10:4
- Satisfied justice: Romans 3:24-26 and Romans 5:9
- Accomplished redemption: Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14
- And opened the door for grace: Romans 3:24 and Romans 5:1-2
Consider this:
We do not obey to be accepted.
We obey because we are accepted — in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6
Christ’s obedience is the foundation; our obedience is the response.
So, what does obedience look like for the Body of Christ?
Paul gives clear instructions:
- Walk in the Spirit: Galatians 5:16 and Galatians 5:25
- Put on the new man: Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10
- Abstain from fornication: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
- Study the Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:15
- Pray without ceasing: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Be thankful: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- Love the brethren: 1 Thessalonians 4:9
- Live peaceably: Romans 12:18
- Hold fast to sound doctrine: 2 Timothy 1:13 and Titus 1:9
- Stand fast in liberty: Galatians 5:1
- And be ready unto every good work: Titus 3:1
Notice these are not Israel’s kingdom commands.
They are not from the Sermon on the Mount.
Nor are they the ordinances of the Law.
These are age of grace instructions for a people saved by grace.
Ephesians 3:2
Rightly divided obedience is obedience to Paul’s apostleship, because Christ speaks to the Body of Christ through Paul.
Galatians 1:12
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Spirit strengthens: Ephesians 3:16
The Word renews: Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23
Grace teaches: Titus 2:11-12
Christ indwells: Colossians 1:27 and Galatians 2:20
Put on the new man: Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10
We obey not to become who we ought to be —
we obey because in Christ we already are who God made us to be.
When a believer obeys according to the dispensation of grace:
- Confusion disappears: 1 Corinthians 14:33
- Condemnation fades: Romans 8:1
- Fear is replaced with assurance: 2 Timothy 1:7
- Works flow from identity, not insecurity: Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 3:8
- Scripture becomes clear: 2 Timothy 2:7 and Ephesians 1:17-18
- Growth becomes natural: Philippians 1:6 and Colossians 2:19
- And Christ becomes central: Colossians 1:18 and Colossians 3:11
Right division does not weaken obedience — it strengthens it.
It does not remove responsibility — it clarifies it.
It does not diminish holiness — it produces it.
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CONCLUSION
Obedience is not a return to the Law.
Obedience is not a covenant contract.
Obedience is not a means of earning blessing.
Obedience rightly divided is:
- Responding to grace: Romans 1:5 and Romans 6:14-17
- Walking in truth: Ephesians 4:21 and Ephesians 5:8-9
- Following Pauline doctrine: Romans 6:17 and Romans 16:25
- And living out who we are in Christ: Romans 6:11 and Romans 6:13
The question is not, “Are you obeying everything in the Bible?”
The question is, “Are you obeying what God wrote to you?”
Please remember: Rightly divided obedience is the only obedience that honors God in this dispensation.
OK, that will do it for now.
Like the noble Bereans did with Paul’s messages, I urge you to search the scriptures to see if what I am teaching is true.
You can find that in Acts 17:10-11.
Also, prove all things.
1 Thessalonians 5:21.
And finally, please do not place confidence in what I say.
Psalm 118:8-9.
This is brother Scott with another Truth Time, Look in the Book!
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