Dependence and obedience are the proper attitudes of a creature. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:44But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)). Man is dependent upon God for food to eat and live, and his life is dependent upon obedience to every word from God. In the Garden of Eden he was given one rule to obey, which joined together his place of dependence and obedience. If he acted in independence of God to eat, he would die. If he obeyed and did not eat what was forbidden, he would live.
“Obedience is the only rightful state of the creature, or God would cease to be supreme — would cease to be God. There is nothing so humble, nothing which so marks the Spirit’s presence, nothing so opposed to insubordination, nothing by which every ungodly voice is so utterly silenced, as by obedience.”
“Christ’s obedience was perfect. Every trial He was put through only manifested that in Him is no sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane He chose rather to have God’s face hidden than to fail to obey. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. There is nothing so humble or so unselfish as obedience. It supposes that we have no will of our own.”
In this issue we focus on the perfect man of dependence and obedience, our Lord Jesus Christ, and how we are called “by sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience . . . of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2 JND).
Theme of the Issue