INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL OBEDIENCE ROSS SMITH
ALL REFERENCES FROM AMPLIFIED VERSION UNLESS NOTED
There are two primary types of obedience, “INTERNAL and EXTERNAL”. All other “obedience’s” are subordinate to these overarching limits.
INTERNAL OBEDIENCE is where our understanding has been stimulated, elongated, updated, appreciated propagated, where the Word of God has taken up residence, not just a welcome visitor, but as that controlling factor that our conscience uses as its statute to goad and prick us when we digress in any manner or matter.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) HAVE ITS HOME [in your hearts and minds] and DWELL IN YOU in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.
These are inward experiences which are then manifested to our outward circumstances, for it is only as we recognise the outward, or the God ruled circumstances by the sensitivity of the inward, that we can fulfil the latter part of the verse, “making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.”
Inward obedience is the response to conscience. Hebrews 10 says,
Hebrews 10:16 This is the agreement (testament, covenant) that I will set up and conclude with them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their HEARTS, and I will inscribe them on their MINDS (on their inmost THOUGHTS AND UNDERSTANDING),
That comes from our “learning by experience” (Ephesians 5:10) because understanding generally follows our having undergone some circumstance, intended for our benefit, the “hands-on” part. But it requires our acquiescence. It is difficult to inscribe or write on scar tissue where the conscience has been seared (1 Timothy 4:2) in fact it is impossible (Hebrews 6:4 and 6)
The retention of God’s Word in our heart has even more significance and consequence, particularly when we consider the effectiveness that was evidenced in Biblical days and promised to us in this era. Again, this is the “INWARD” obedience required, and the only way this can become a reality is by frequent and intense study of God’s Word, not as an academic exercise but as a remedial process.
John 15:7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ASK WHATEVER YOU WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU.
The evidence of this promise will be the consequences of the sensitivity of the spiritual man who will not ask for things that are outside Father’s intentions, not for any selfish purpose, not for any display other than that which will bring glory to God. This condition or state is only attained by “ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE”. The “BUT” at the introduction to this man is that apodosis from verse 14 and subtly confirms that promise of John 15:7
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 BUT the SPIRITUAL MAN tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.
OUTWARD OBEDIENCE is frequently nothing more than “compliance”, it arises not so much from integrity and veracity but from compulsion. There are three similar states to consider in relation to Obedience, they are, Compliance, Conformity, Persuasion.
OBEDIENCE is a change in behaviour as a result of a direct command from an authority figure, in this case, understanding the requirements of the one we call Our Father. Obedience is active in that it is usually directly initiated by an authority, and for us, that is either the Word or The Holy Spirit via our conscience.
CONFORMITY refers to when people adjust their behaviours, attitudes, feelings, and/or beliefs to fit a group norm. Conformity is generally regarded as a passive form of influence in that people in a group do not actively attempt to influence others. People merely observe the actions of group members and adjust their behaviours and views accordingly. The focus of conformity can be either external (overt behaviours) or internal (beliefs and feelings) in nature. The adjustment of one aspect of Conformity does not necessarily flow on to another aspect, whereas Obedience influences more broadly, in both internal and external areas.
There is however a demand of the Word of God that we “CONFORM” found in Matthew but comprises a significant reordering of our life and behaviour, even to the point of death.
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, IF ANYONE DESIRES TO BE MY DISCIPLE, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, CONFORM WHOLLY TO MY EXAMPLE IN LIVING AND, IF NEED BE, IN DYING, ALSO].
Without this “CONFORMITY” there is no “IDENTITY”.
1 John 3:10 By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [WHO DOES NOT CONFORM TO GOD’S WILL IN PURPOSE, THOUGHT, AND ACTION] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).
PERSUASION refers to an active attempt to change another person’s attitudes, beliefs, or feelings, usually via some form of communication. Persuasion is an active form of influence and is internal in its focus in that changes in people’s beliefs and/or feelings are the goal of such influence.
The Apostle Paul was not reticent to try and influence even the hierarchy and was obviously convincing in his discourse to Agrippa. It is noteworthy that the Apostle did not engage in any fawning manner to address Agrippa, for his retort was “just off hand and with little ado”, an approach Agrippa was not accustomed to, but Paul was “PERSUASIVE”.
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You think it a small task to make a Christian of me [just offhand to induce me with little ado and persuasion, at very short notice].
Agrippa’s downfall was that there was no response to the inward prick of conscience induced by Paul’s discourse, no INWARD OBEDIENCE” and his pride and position was under challenge. When “self” is preferred over “security” then persuasion become difficult.
COMPLIANCE is when an individual changes his or her behaviour in response to an explicit or implicit request made by another person. Compliance is often referred to as an active form of social influence in that it is usually intentionally initiated by a person. It is also conceptualized as an external form of social influence in that its focus is a change in overt behaviour.
Philemon 1:21 I write to you [perfectly] confident of your OBEDIENT COMPLIANCE, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
Philemon could have been justifiably at odds with his slave, Onesimus, because he was a runaway, but here the Apostle highlights that enviable characteristic of “OBEDIENT COMPLIANCE” and for the Apostle to be so confident it surely must have been from previously observing such behaviour.
The original “law” required “ceremonial observances” (Jeremiah 8:8) and reinforced in Mark 17:13. The law was written on two tables of stone, the new covenant is written on two faculties, the mind and the heart. Notice in Colossians 3:16 and also in Hebrews 10:16 these two faculties are involved as a necessary commitment and precursor to righteousness.
The tablets of stone can be lost or discarded but the inscription on hearts and minds is always with us (2 Corinthians 3:3) “I will be to them a God”, that is if the previous events have taken place, the residency of the Word and the engraving on the heart.
Moses gave advice along these lines when he wrote to the nation and the “listen diligently” involves the response to conscience, or “INTERNAL OBEDIENCE, and “do all His commandments” to the external “OBEDIENCE”.
Deuteronomy 28:1 IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
The outcome of Deuteronomy 28:1 will be a condition of righteousness, even though this may be Old Testament instruction, the same applies to us today. How will we observe this phenomenon?
Isaiah 32:17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.
Ross Smith 