“Hi Shane, I’m thankful that the Lord has given us many powerful motives in the form of doctrinal truths (indicatives) as reasons why we should obey Him.However, would you agree that the Bible uses an indicative to motivate only some imperatives? But, other imperatives are given with no motives, just sheer duty?

Do you believe it’s OK to obey God out of duty, with no conscious motive? (No, that’s not Phariseeism or legalism. Christ rebuked the Pharisees for obeying from sinful motives, not NO motives.)

Can I suggest that much if not most of our obedience is without conscious motives? Every day we obey our Lord from disciplined habits of godliness. And, you know what? That’s not a sin.

Sure, I prefer to stop and think about why I should obey. But, we often don’t have time to think. And, God accepts our obedience in Christ, whether from conscious motives or no motives. . .”

I’ll respond by making some general comments to clarify what I believe (this post) and then interact specifically with the above objection (next post). 

General Comments

Godliness is always by discipline. However we approach obedience, it is a discipline.   It is a discipline to receive the comforts of the Gospel when our conscience is condemning us.  It is a discipline to act from a mindset of acceptance with God to obedience for God rather than acting from obedience to obtain acceptance before God (at any level).  

We have to sweat for Jesus and this is hard work.  Where ever you put that effort it is work.  The question is where will you first put your efforts and focus primarily and what efforts are secondary and are to flow out of, and result from, where your primary effort is exerted.   Even when right internal convictions are driving us to obedience it is still gritty work requiring effort.

We should seek personal holiness through abiding in Christ and He in us to produce the inner holiness of a joyful and contented heart resulting in natural and unconstrained obedience to His commands.  

True holiness is first and foremost relational.  The secondary behavioral aspects of holiness flow out of your relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”   John 15:4

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb 11:5-6

Therefore, the manner of achieving true holiness is, from first to last, by faith.  A resting, trusting, God-ward, Christ-treasuring, Spirit-fueled faith expressed throughout scripture in terms such as “Christ lives in me . . . I live by faith” (Gal 2:20, Heb 10:38), “walking by faith” (2 Cor 5:7); “faith working by love”(Gal 5:6), “overcoming the world by faith” (1 John 5:4); “quenching the fiery darts . . . by the shield of faith”, “walking, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” Col 2:6,7), “putting on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:13), “being strong in the Lord, and the power of His might” (Eph 6:10).

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).   Therefore, to live by faith, is to continually be influenced towards holiness by embracing the gospel promises of His abiding presence, continual abundant love, guaranteed eternal comfort, and everlasting joyous fellowship with Christ, all given to us freely. 

I have no trouble with simply stating commands.   For example, saying to someone, “The Lord commands us to love our wives and not be harsh with them.  Brother, you need to love your wife and must not be harsh with her.” In that exhortation I’ve not commented on motives and haven’t brought any assumptions into the equation.   How the person obeys, the motives they employ, and the means they employ, is not commented on in that statement

However, if I was preaching on Colossians 3:19,  “husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them”, I’d be sure to bring to bring in the broader gospel context of Colossians, for example:

- the parallel verse (vs 18) to wives which encourages submission “as is fitting in the Lord”, a clear positional statement.

- “the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel” Col 1:5

- “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Col 2:7

- “12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:12-14

- “1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”   Col 3:1-4.  

That last verse is a clear reference to where the mind is to be set. And if the mind is set on something then all else flows from that focus.

There are many other Colossian texts.  As believers, this side of the cross, the context for each command is always similar.   And the broader context by which we receive all commands is always Christ, and his work, embraced by faith.

Our duty is not just obeying individual commands under various circumstances.   Our duty is to radiate perfect Christ-like obedience at all times and under all circumstances.  Our duty is to obey His law which demands every action carries with it thoughts, and feelings, and emotions, and motives, worthy of the Living God as Christ did.

God’s Law comes to us a unit. The law is a whole.  We are now under the Law of Christ and the greatest expression of that Law is Christ himself, our Living Torah.  If we are not living in perfect obedience with inward heart, mind, soul and strength we are disobedient (which is always, at least to a degree).

And this law includes motives associated with the actions.

“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” Matt 15:8

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matt 28:37

I do exhort external obedience.   When a believer does not feel like doing their duty before God I do not excuse the performing of the act of obedience but rather encourage the performance of the both the external duty while in parallel dealing with the internal problem through repentance for heard-heartedness, resting in free forgiveness, meditating on the goodness and example of Christ, prayerfully pleading for joy in all things, and seeking satisfaction in Christ freely offered and flowing through to all our service of our God.