An authority is the great regulator of our lives. We’ve had so many problems because we haven’t taught obedience in the home. That’s where it all begins. That’s not where it ends, but that’s where it begins. And then obedience in school, obedience in other areas that the Lord speaks about, and in the church. “Obey them that have the rule over you,” Hebrews 13:17. Obedience has always been a part of God’s great scheme. What did Paul mean when he said in 2 Corinthians 2:9, I want to find “the proof…whether” or not you have been “obedient”? Does it really matter? It must matter! It must make all the difference in the world! Ask the rich man in Luke 16, verses 19 and following, if obedience didn’t make any difference! He could tell you a different story there! Ask the people who have gone to torment if it doesn’t really matter whether we obey or not!

Well, when we think about all the labels that are thrown about and all of the things that are said, that doesn’t lessen the reality of God’s calling for obedience. In John 4, verses 20 to 24, he said we must “worship the Lord in spirit and Truth.” How do we know what spirit we are to worship the Lord in? In Acts 5:32, the Bible said “the Holy Spirit” is “given to those who” what?—“obey Him”. Well I didn’t think you could link spiritual things with obedience, because that looks like that might be a little “legalistic.” Who said so?! Just because somebody said something, it doesn’t make any difference when it comes to what the Lord said!

I was telling someone today that we were in a certain class in college. It was called “spoken grammar”—nothing written. A person would get up and speak for two or three seconds. When he’d make a mistake, he’d have to sit down. It was sort of a preacher’s class, really. This old boy got up and said, “I think…” and the teacher said, “Sit down—we don’t care what you think!” The teacher said, “We want to hear what Paul said.” I thought, hey, that’s a pretty good point! God said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts” [Isaiah 58:8]. Your idea may not be any better than anybody else’s. It’s not the construction you put on a passage of Scripture; it’s “What does the passage of Scripture actually say?”.

The grace of God is connected very definitely with obedience. What about Titus 2, verses 11 and 12 that we’ve already mentioned? Let’s go over it again. He said, “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men instructing us”—you see, that calls for obedience—“teaching us” to the intent that “denying ungodliness”—that calls for obedience—“worldly lusts”—that calls for obedience—that “we should live soberly,” and “righteously…in this present world.” You can’t do that without obedience! So grace does not offset obedience—no, not at all. Grace is definitely a part of it and you can’t really receive the grace of God and enjoy the grace of God and benefit from the grace of God without receiving it by faith, as we mentioned in Romans 5:2, but even faith is something on man’s part.

As a little review for those who weren’t here Sunday, grace is not a license to “sin,” Romans 6:1; grace is not a freedom from responsibility, Ephesians 2:10; and grace does not promote carelessness, Luke 13:24 and Hebrews 2, verses 1 and following. And grace doesn’t discredit the Lord’s justice, Job 40, verse 8. In fact, God is called “a God of justice,” Isaiah 30:18, and He’s also called the “God of grace,” 1 Peter 5:10. These verses are not antagonistic! And let me say again: If it weren’t for God’s justice, grace would be superficial! Grace would be meaningless without the justice of the Almighty! There isn’t anything we could do or be that we don’t already owe to God. We didn’t give Him what we owed Him [obedience] in the first place, as we learned last evening! And without the “extra” there can’t be any propitiation [Propitiation: an offering, or atonement, to win the good will of; to appease]; without propitiation—no reconciliation; without reconciliation—no salvation—no hope of heaven. And were it not for the grace of God that provided what we could not provide for ourselves, we wouldn’t have anything extra to give. And so, Hebrews 2:9, it’s all “by the grace of God” that Jesus “tasted death for every man.” In fact, just form an acrostic of the word “GRACE”—God’s Righteousness At Christ’s Expense. That spells “grace.” And “thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” that speaks of grace, 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Back to last evening’s lesson, Galatians 6:14, I have no “glory” except itbe “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s Gospel! In 1 Thessalonians 1:10, the Bible said, “He…delivered us from the wrath” through Him. That’s Gospel! Romans 5:9, being “justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” So obedience, then, is to help us not be under the wrath of God, because “the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience,” Ephesians 5:6. You go through the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 and look at the word “obey,” or “commandment,” or “they were asked to do something,” or they were “urged” to do it. Just see how often you find these, because this [obedience] goes through the whole Bible.

I heard a lesson once that I did not agree with. The fellow said we’re changing rules for relationships—rules of the Old Testament—relationships in the New. Don’t you believe it! They had relationships in the Old Testament, and we have rules in the New Testament. No, there has never been a time when anybody could please God without rules. There hasn’t been a time when anyone could become a follower of His without rules. Obedience is very vital. So we are saved by grace, but obedience is very definitely connected with it, and very definitely a part of it!