Obedience

`If ye love me, my commands keep,

And Peter and the apostles answering, said, `To obey God it behoveth, rather than men;

as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance,

for this is the love of God, that His commands we may keep, and His commands are not burdensome;

If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,

`And why do ye call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say?

And he said, `Yea, rather, happy those hearing the word of God, and keeping <FI>it<Fi> !'

for, if thou diligently hearken to his voice, and hast done all that which I speak, then I have been at enmity with thine enemies, and have distressed those distressing thee.

The way of faithfulness I have chosen, Thy judgments I have compared,

And Samuel saith, `Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as <FI>in<Fi> hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams;

and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death--death even of a cross,

Jesus answered and said to him, `If any one may love me, my word he will keep, and my Father will love him, and unto him we will come, and abode with him we will make;

but that the world may know that I love the Father, and according as the Father gave me command so I do; arise, we may go hence.

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, — read the full passage →

Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this <FI>is<Fi> unprofitable to you.

have ye not known that to whom ye present yourselves servants for obedience, servants ye are to him to whom ye obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the one, shall the many be constituted righteous.

`And now, if ye really hearken to My voice, then ye have kept My covenant, and been to Me a peculiar treasure more than all the peoples, for all the earth <FI>is<Fi> Mine;

But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to My voice, And I have been to you for God, And ye--ye are to Me for a people, And have walked in all the way that I command you, So that it is well for you.

and he who is keeping His commands, in Him he doth remain, and He in him; and in this we know that He doth remain in us, from the Spirit that He gave us.

verily, verily, I say to you, If any one may keep my word, death he may not see--to the age.'

and he cleaveth to Jehovah, he hath not turned aside from after Him, and keepeth His commands that Jehovah commanded Moses.

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

I have made haste, And delayed not, to keep Thy commands.

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous;

Teach me to do Thy good pleasure, For Thou <FI>art<Fi> my God--Thy Spirit <FI>is<Fi> good, Lead me into a land of uprightness.

`Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens.

Praise ye Jah! O the happiness of one fearing Jehovah, In His commands he hath delighted greatly.

he who is having my commands, and is keeping them, that one it is who is loving me, and he who is loving me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.'

reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

ye are my friends, if ye may do whatever I command you;

through whom we did receive grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name;

and having been made perfect, he did become to all those obeying him a cause of salvation age-during,

The children! obey your parents in the Lord, for this is righteous; — read the full passage →

and this is the love, that we may walk according to His commands; this is the command, even as ye did hear from the beginning, that in it ye may walk,

Remind them to be subject to principalities and authorities, to obey rule, unto every good work to be ready,

if my commandments ye may keep, ye shall remain in my love, according as I the commands of my Father have kept, and do remain in His love;

And I keep Thy law continually, To the age and for ever.

and we are His witnesses of these sayings, and the Holy Spirit also, whom God gave to those obeying him.'

in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you ye walk, so that ye live, and <FI>it is<Fi> well with you, and ye have prolonged days in the land which ye possess.

`See, I am setting before you to-day a blessing and a reviling: — read the full passage →

through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered--the obedience,

I have reckoned my ways, And turn back my feet unto Thy testimonies.

Let every soul to the higher authorities be subject, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God,

and in every work that he hath begun for the service of the house of God, and for the law, and for the command, to seek to his God, with all his heart he hath wrought and prospered.

and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers,

and whatever we may ask, we receive from Him, because His commands we keep, and the things pleasing before Him we do,

Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice--living, sanctified, acceptable to God--your intelligent service;

The beginning of wisdom <FI>is<Fi> fear of Jehovah, Good understanding have all doing them, His praise <FI>is<Fi> standing for ever!

Only, be very watchful to do the command and the law which Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded you, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commands, and to cleave to Him, and to serve Him, with all your heart, and with all your soul.'

`And thou hast known to-day, and hast turned <FI>it<Fi> back unto thy heart, that Jehovah He <FI>is<Fi> God, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath--there is none else; — read the full passage →

so also the faith, if it may not have works, is dead by itself.

`And why do ye call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say? — read the full passage →

I have adhered to Thy testimonies, O Jehovah, put me not to shame.

Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;

The end of the whole matter let us hear: --`Fear God, and keep His commands, for this <FI>is<Fi> the whole of man.

`And it hath been, if thou dost hearken diligently to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all His commands which I am commanding thee to-day, that Jehovah thy God hath made thee uppermost above all the nations of the earth,

Whoso is keeping the command is keeping his soul, Whoso is despising His ways dieth.

`If in My statutes ye walk, and My commands ye keep, and have done them, — read the full passage →

The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely.

if these things ye have known, happy are ye, if ye may do them;

`None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.

for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.

The servants! obey in all things those who are masters according to the flesh, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in simplicity of heart, fearing God;

the children! obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord;

and he who did look into the perfect law--that of liberty, and did continue there, this one--not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work--this one shall be happy in his doing.

and Peter said unto them, `Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,

I have inclined my heart To do Thy statutes, to the age--<FI> to<Fi> the end!

for forty years have the sons of Israel gone in the wilderness, till all the nation of the men of war who are coming out of Egypt, who hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah, to whom Jehovah hath sworn not to show them the land which Jehovah sware to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, are consumed;

be subject, then, to God; stand up against the devil, and he will flee from you;

and thanks to God, that ye were servants of the sin, and--were obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which ye were delivered up;

And Samuel saith, `Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as <FI>in<Fi> hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams; — read the full passage →

And Jesus passing by thence, saw a man sitting at the tax-office, named Matthew, and saith to him, `Be following me,' and he, having risen, did follow him.

of one another the burdens bear ye, and so fill up the law of the Christ,

In a pillar of cloud He speaketh unto them, They have kept His testimonies, And the statute He hath given to them.

Above elders I understand more, For Thy precepts I have kept. — read the full passage →

so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

And we have known that to those loving God all things do work together for good, to those who are called according to purpose;

`And it hath been, if thou dost hearken diligently to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all His commands which I am commanding thee to-day, that Jehovah thy God hath made thee uppermost above all the nations of the earth, — read the full passage →

When a man's ways please Jehovah, even his enemies, He causeth to be at peace with him.

and the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain--to the age.

So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. — read the full passage →

`Ye did not choose out me, but I chose out you, and did appoint you, that ye might go away, and might bear fruit, and your fruit might remain, that whatever ye may ask of the Father in my name, He may give you.

And he said to him, `Why me dost thou call good? no one <FI>is<Fi> good except One--God; but if thou dost will to enter into the life, keep the commands.'

in this we know that we love the children of God, when we may love God, and His commands may keep; — read the full passage →

and this is the love, that we may walk according to His commands; this is the command, even as ye did hear from the beginning, that in it ye may walk, — read the full passage →

`I am not able of myself to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.

O the happiness of those keeping His testimonies, With the whole heart they seek Him.

Jesus, therefore, said unto the Jews who believed in him, `If ye may remain in my word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth, — read the full passage →

<FI> Pe.<Fi> Wonderful <FI>are<Fi> Thy testimonies, Therefore hath my soul kept them.

To those keeping His covenant, And to those remembering His precepts to do them.

`Honour thy father and thy mother, so that thy days are prolonged on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.

`And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain <FI>it<Fi> , and bear fruit in continuance.

and saith unto them, `Ye--ye have kept the whole of that which Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded you, and ye hearken to my voice, to all that I have commanded you;

so that the law, indeed, <FI>is<Fi> holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless,