It seems as though you can talk about anything you want as long as it doesn't involve adhering to a set of laws, rules, or regulations. Maybe one reason that people don't like to talk about obedience is because, in the past, "obedience" did carry a negative connotation; it was always, "Don't do this," and "Don't do that."
And in that context, obedience was used more often than not to indicate an adherence to a set of rules and regulations which were not necessarily in line with the Word of God.
These were really the dos and the don'ts of tradition. But when you actually begin to study the subject, obedience is the underlying theme of the entire Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. How pertinent this subject is to the Church today!
You cannot even receive salvation without obedience. That's true! You have to obey God and come in line with His Word in order to accept Christ as your Savior.
In Genesis we see obedience and disobedience through God's perspective as Adam's sons came to worship God. Abel confirmed to God's laws and brought the proper animal sacrifice as he was supposed to according to God's instructions.
But Cain wanted to come to God in his own way. He wanted to be recognized and approved by God bringing the sacrifice his way—not God's way—and yet still receive the blessings of God!
So Cain, being a farmer, brought the work of his own hands—the fruits of the ground—and offered them on the altar. But God refused his sacrifice. Why? Because God told man from the beginning how to please Him, and therefore receive from Him. So Cain's own disobedience made receiving from God absolutely impossible.
Discipline Follows Disobedience
You will notice in the Old Testament, no one ever got in trouble unless they disobeyed the Word of God. The same is true in the New Testament.
And today, we don't get in trouble unless we disobey the Word of God. Of course you realize that God's Word is His law. Therefore, simply stated, the underlying theme of the Word of God is obedience with no negotiations.
Many people have trouble with this. They say, for example, that they cannot keep the Ten Commandments. But really you don't have to worry about the Ten Commandments if you'll just remember one commandment: "Obey what God says!"
God is the Creator of all things. He is the only One who can set into motion the laws of His Word, and we have no right or authority to negotiate with Him when it comes to those laws. God is the Final Authority.
Usually people who are having difficulty lining up with God's Word are those who didn't really want to obey God in the first place. They wanted to find a compromise (a loophole) in the Word of God. But God is not a God of compromise with respect to His own Word.
With God it's "yea" or "nay"; with some Christians it's "maybe-so."
Obedience Leads To Victory
But you see, God has been specific in His Word so that we would have a clear-cut path or highway to follow—one in which there would be no confusion. The road signs in God's Word are not confusing, but straightforward.
Furthermore, they will always lead us to victory, and eventually to Heaven. Simply put, those road signs state, "Obey God in His Word!"
Obedience—lining up with God in His Word—is not a popular subject in this day and age, but it is a vital one to the Body of Christ; therefore, it is something we need to look at more carefully.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications