Zambia Hunt

Dear CABU Student:

When you applied to university, you submitted to a process. You followed application instructions, met deadlines, perhaps even changed sleep habits to make early classes. Why? Because you wanted something valuable—education, opportunity, future success. We all submit to authorities and processes when we value the outcome. But what if I told you that the most successful people aren’t those who merely follow rules when convenient but those who understand the deeper purpose of submission? Today, we’re exploring obedience—not as mindless compliance but as a powerful choice that shapes your character, relationships, and future leadership. The way you respond to authority now is silently determining your capacity to lead others tomorrow. 

Here at Central Africa Baptist University, our four core values are honesty, obedience, wisdom, and service. Obedience is defined as “Doing what I should do, when I should do it, how I should do it, with the right heart attitude toward the authority asking me to do it.”

What Is True Obedience?

Obedience means yielding under or submitting to authority. More specifically, it’s a belief in God that results in submission to Him and to all authorities He has placed in our lives. When we look at the natural world, we see that the entire universe bows in obedience to God’s voice—except mankind. The winds and sea obey Him (Matthew 8:27), and even demonic spirits obey His voice (Mark 1:27).

Yet obedience isn’t natural to fallen humanity. Obedience is learned, as we see in Hebrews 5:8, “Though He was a Son, He learned obedience by the things He suffered.”

True obedience means doing what we should do, when we should do it, how we should do it, with the right heart, attitude, and spirit toward the authority asking us to do it.

Obedience Is An Issue of Authority

In 1 Samuel 15:1-2, we see that God has the right to tell us what to do, and we have the responsibility to obey. This authority is established because of who He is—the LORD. He is Sovereign; He is the Master! We are His servants, and we’re expected to obey because of the nature of our relationship with God.

His authority is also established because of His nature—the LORD of Hosts, the name God takes in battle. When He makes war! God is holy, and He is at war with wickedness and evil.

God also establishes human authorities and commands obedience to them:

• “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17)
• “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13:1-2)

We see this in all areas of life:

• Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1)
• Wives are to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22)
• Employees are to obey employers (Colossians 3:22)
• Citizens are to obey the government (Titus 3:1)
• Church members are to obey church leadership (Philippians 2:12)

Obedience Requires a Whole-Hearted Response

In 1 Samuel 15:2-9, we see that obedience requires carrying out God’s instructions completely. There are several ways we can fail in obedience:

Delayed Obedience Is Disobedience

In verses 4-5 and 7, we see that Saul summoned the troops and marched against Amalek without delay. We do not have the right to obey in our own time frame.

Think about children. When parents begin counting “1, 2, 3…” what are they addressing? A disobedient, rebellious heart that delays until the consequences become too unbearable. When we only act when voices are raised, we’re demonstrating a spirit of disobedience.

Incomplete Obedience Is Disobedience

In verses 8-9, Saul decided to spare what he deemed suitable—the best of the Amalekites’ goods. He utterly destroyed only what was despised and worthless.

Partial obedience is to turn back from following God (verse 11). Partial obedience is not obedience at all—it is, in fact, rebellion.

Half-Hearted Obedience Is Disobedience

Even when we obey immediately but with a complaining spirit or when we dislike what we’re asked to do so we do the minimum to get by and stay out of trouble, we’re displaying disobedience.

Disobedience Is Rebellion Against God

In 1 Samuel 15:10-23, we see that disobedience is rebellion against God and His authority.

Disobedience Is Deceptive

Saul thought he could pick and choose obedience based on his own criteria. In verses 13 and 20, Saul claimed to have obeyed. We often reshape truth to convince ourselves that our disobedience is justified. We point to circumstances or what others said or did.

When confronted with our disobedience, our first instinct is to shift blame (verse 15), just as Adam and Eve did in Genesis 3:11-12. Disobedience is often rooted in fear—at the time we choose to disobey, we fear something more than we fear God (verse 24).

Disobedience Is Demonic

In verses 17-23, we learn some startling truths about disobedience:

• Serving God is no substitute for obedience (verse 18)
• Worship is no substitute for compliance (verse 22). Prayer, Bible reading, or giving offerings at church cannot substitute for obedience.

Samuel tells Saul that rebellion against God is like the sin of witchcraft—using the supernatural power of Satan to accomplish the will of man. It is a rejection of the authority and the person of God.

Disobedience is Satanic in origin. We see this in Isaiah 14:12-15, where Lucifer says, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high… I will make myself like the Most High.” We see it in Genesis 3:1-7 when the serpent tempts Eve to disobey God.

Disobedience sets self up as God instead of Christ as the rightful king of our life. In Luke 19:14, people say, “We do not want this man to reign over us.”

Disobedience is a form of worship—we obey what we worship. Obedience and worship go together, as we see in Matthew 4:9-10 when Jesus tells Satan, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”

Disobedience Is Destructive

Disobedience always costs someone their life (Romans 6:23). Adam’s lapse of obedience plunged humanity into guilt, condemnation, and death. But Christ’s unfailing obedience unto death won righteousness and life for all who believe:

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

Disobedience carries a hefty price tag, as Saul discovered. He lost the kingdom and the power of God (1 Samuel 28:5-8).

As the saying goes, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

The principle of sowing and reaping is clear: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

The Heart of Obedience

Our obedience to God can never justify us before God. Instead, obedience flows from our love for God. Love for God is measured by our obedience to Him:

“If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15)

“By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2-3)

Your Call to Obedience

The Lord has called and is sending each of us on a mission! Do not disobey the voice of the Lord. Remember that large-scale failure in life is always the result of a series of minor failures along the way.

What area of your life are you refusing to obey God? Obedience is a choice! Determine by God’s grace to submit yourself to God as your LORD and master. Do what you should do, when you should do it, how you should do it, with the right heart attitude toward the authority asking you to do it!

BE OBEDIENT!