A misconception of obedience

Could you go a little further in defining "obedience" and maybe compare and contrast your enhanced definition with a definition of "legalism". The speed at which this thread is moving indicates a fair amount of interest in the subject. I have even detected a little emotion in the response of several of my friends on this site.

No one is saving themselves BY themselves when they in humble submission rely on in God’s divine authoritative commands that they read in His word. God saves when one submits/obeys His teachings. They are HIS teachings, which HE gives. Thus, there can be no boasting whatsoever on the part of man. Simply gratitude and thankfulness that God has given mankind.

Pursuing holiness and trying to live in accordance with God's Word is a response to God's love and grace, not legalism. Grace is a gift from God that is accessed by faith (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:2). When one has BIBLICAL faith, they WANT to live a life that honors God and is consistent with His teachings. 1 Peter 1:15–16 exhorts us to be holy.

Seeking holiness is about loving God and being thankful, not about earning salvation.

A saving faith will not be dead, as it will be a faith that works/obeys (Jms. 2:14-26). Our obedience demonstrate our LOVE and DEVOTION to God, as we desire to live according to His word (Jn. 8:31, 14:15, 23-24). Obedience does not earn or negate grace. Following God's word is a result of our relationship with Him, not earning salvation. God’s grace instructs us to live for Him (Titus 2:11-12; Rom. 6:1) and when we obey God, He is working in us, (Phil. 2:12-13), as those are HIS words that are in OUR lives working, NOT OURS. God’s grace is the SOURCE of our spiritual growth and obedience. Our relationship with God begins and is sustained by HIS grace through OUR FAITH (Eph. 2:8; 1 Peter 1:5). It is HIS grace that INSTRUCTS us to align OUR will with HIS will. This is how we grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18, 1:5-11), and continue in it (Acts 13:43).

God’s saving grace calls us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and restoration (Jms. 5:19-20). By following God's commands, we become more Christ-like and strengthen our bond with Him (2 Peter 1:5-8). Our obedience stems from a heart of love and gratitude. It's a reflection of our faith and trust in Him, and His grace enables us to live a life that honors Him.

I’m not advocating obedience is the means and the only means of salvation without the need of grace, mercy, faith and love. When lost sinners OBEYED from the HEART that form of doctrine which was delivered to them (Rom. 6:17)..they expressed their FAITH and DESIRE to be saved by God’s grace..humbly throwing themselves on His mercy. The doctrine that was delivered unto them was not something they earned or could boast about. It is OF God. The gospel is OF God (2 Thess. 2:14; Rom. 1:16). Thus, any form of obedience from a heart of faith that is motivated, driven, and fueled by the gospel call of salvation (Acts 2:39) CANNOT possibly be one as earning or boasting..and CANNOT be considered relying or trusting in self. The ONLY boasting one can do is give glory TO GOD (1 Cor. 1:13; 2 Cor. 10:17) for what all He did in providing the means of salvation. NOT SELF. The ONLY boasting/rejoicing one can do once they get saved is with the testimony of their conscience with GODLY SINCERITY…by the GRACE OF GOD (2 Cor. 1:12). I’m not advocating a kind or type of obedience that is boastful in ourselves (Titus 3:5) or our own righteousness (Rom. 10:3), or one that is legalistic or Phariseeish. I’m not advocating a follow the rule obedience with zero faith, zero love and not depending on grace and mercy when we fall short. I’m advocating one that is of faith in SUBMITTING to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3) through/by the power/authority OF CHRIST Jesus our Lord (Mt. 28:18), who is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him (Heb. 5:9).

Obedience is godly walk or conduct of surrendering to God. Submitting to Jesus in FAITH, living for HIM out of gratefulness due to being saved from sin by grace…is NOT achieving righteousness by our OWN WORKS. It is JESUS who make us righteous through the faith (Phil. 3:9).

Legalism is the idea that is often motivated by a desire to EARN favor with God or to ACHIEVE righteousness through PERSONAL EFFORT—I’d go so far as to say they are desiring to do this WITHOUT God’s grace in their lives. It’s all with works and works ONLY.

Are you saying (as did Jesus, James and John as well as Paul) that the guide for obedience is the law of God?

[Mat 5:18-19 KJV] 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

[Jas 2:8-12, 17, 20, 24, 26 KJV] 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. ... 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ... 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ... 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

[1Jo 3:4-6 KJV] 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

[Rom 7:12, 22, 25 KJV] 12 Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. ... 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ... 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

No one is saving themselves BY themselves when they in humble submission rely on in God’s divine authoritative commands that they read in His word.

Our obedience demonstrate our LOVE and DEVOTION to God, as we desire to live according to His word (Jn. 8:31, 14:15, 23-24).

Following God's word is a result of our relationship with Him, not earning salvation.

I’m not gonna continue answering your questions. I answered your original question that you asked. You wanted me to explain and I did. If you’re still having questions, then reread what I wrote.

Could you go a little further in defining "obedience" and maybe compare and contrast your enhanced definition with a definition of "legalism". The speed at which this thread is moving indicates a fair amount of interest in the subject. I have even detected a little emotion in the response of several of my friends on this site.

For me, Obedience follows Faith in Father and Son as won for me.
It is like looking at a train to take it for a ride
I see the front, the engine, and then the caboose that follows
If I ever see a train where the Caboose is leading it, then I will not take it for any ride, will you?

Seeing the engine as truth, the Caboose as the follower
Caboose of a train I see as emotions of people, I see my emotions follow, I can only speak for me in my experiences.
Now whenever I get excited and puffed/pumped up over anything. I see my emotions start leading and I am headed for a wreck, and have wrecked many times.
Trusting God to reveal this truth to us each personally in his love and mercy given us to see
truth
Emotions, know no right or wrong, they predictably react to any thought received in one's mind set at that present time. Evil knows this and uses that to trick people and has for many years now
If you emotions are leading you, look out fro the leaven of the Pharisees please, ask Father and you will see if you do believe God yet, thank you

I like the analogy but suggest that the engine is God/Christ/Truth, the various cars are works/fruit or Christians, and the couplings are faith, "from first to last". (RM 1:17)

an article I wrote on another forum feb 20, 2025

The Theology of Obedience: The Vine and Branches from Genesis to Revelation
Obedience to God stands as a central theme in Scripture, a living bond that stretches unbroken from the fertile ground of Eden to the fruitful courts of the New Jerusalem. It is not a minor rule or a passing growth; it is the life giving connection between humanity and its Creator, weaving together love, authority, consequence, and redemption, and finding its fullest expression in the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb. Using the New King James Version, we explore this doctrine with care, to reveal its richness across the biblical story.

The story of obedience begins in Genesis, where God’s first command plants the seed of human purpose. “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die,” the Lord states in Genesis 2:16-17. Here, obedience is not a heavy burden but a source of life, a call to trust the Creator’s wisdom. Yet, Genesis 3:6 marks a tragic break: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food … she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” In this first act of disobedience, Adam and Eve cut themselves off from God’s care, choosing their own way over His, and the result is decay—death, exile, and a broken world. From the very start, Scripture shows obedience as the root of blessing or curse, a truth later expanded in Deuteronomy 28. There, God’s covenant promises ring clear: “If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God … all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2), set against the warning, “If you do not obey … all these curses will come upon you” (Deuteronomy 28:15). Obedience is not random; it is the natural link between creature and Creator, the flow of life in a world shaped by a sovereign God who declares in Isaiah 45:12, “I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded.” To obey is to stay connected to this source; to rebel is to wither, as Isaiah 45:9 asks, “Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’”

Humanity’s history, however, is marked by repeated disconnection, a pattern seen not just in Eden but in lives like Jonah’s, whose refusal of God’s call leads to a fish’s belly and divine correction (Jonah 1:3, 2:10). This struggle points to our need for a stronger bond, one beyond our own strength. Jesus, the obedient Son, steps in to restore it. In Matthew 26:39, under Gethsemane’s dark branches, He prays, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Luke 22:42-44 adds depth: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done … And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood.” This is obedience at its peak—not a lifeless surrender but a costly, heartfelt choice to align with the Father’s will. Jesus, fully human, feels the weight of the cross yet stays rooted, reversing Eden’s failure. Where Adam and Eve took forbidden fruit, Jesus offers His life, becoming the Lamb who, as John 1:29 says, “takes away the sin of the world.” John 10:17-18 explains further: “I lay down My life … No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. … This command I have received from My Father.” His obedience is intentional and powerful, fulfilling the Father’s plan not as a victim but as a willing sacrifice.

This obedience is not a standalone act; it is the heart of Scripture’s message. Jesus connects it to love in John 14:15—“If you love Me, keep My commandments”—and lives it out in John 15:10: “I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” For Jesus and for us, obedience is the flow of love, the way to remain close to God. But our human efforts often fall short without help. Ezekiel 36:27 offers hope: “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes,” a promise of the Spirit’s strength fulfilled in Christ’s followers. John echoes this in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,” pointing to a grace that makes obedience possible. Abraham’s offering of Isaac in Genesis 22 shows this trust in action, relying on God’s promise (Genesis 22:8, “God will provide for Himself the lamb”). Obedience in hard times, as James 1:22 urges—“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only”—grows strong when grounded in faith.

The purpose of obedience bears fruit in Revelation, where the connection to God ripens fully. Revelation 22:14 states, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” What Adam lost through disobedience—the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24)—is regained through obedience in Christ. This is not a rigid demand; it is the natural outcome of a restored relationship, matching God’s good will, as Jeremiah 29:11 assures, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Obedience honors God, as Matthew 5:16 adapts: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” From Genesis’s first command to Revelation’s final reward, obedience is the path of redemption, a response to a God who calls in love, strengthens by grace, and leads to eternal life.

Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane—“not as I will, but as You will”—is the moment of greatest fruitfulness, linking Eden’s loss to Revelation’s gain. It shows obedience as both costly and life giving, human and divine, personal and universal. Through Scripture, from the first break in Eden to the final restoration at the tree of life, obedience is the call to stay connected, to love, and to grow under the Creator’s care, perfectly shown in the Lamb who obeyed unto death so we might live and bear fruit.

Blessings.

Excellent article.