Key verses by theme
Key Bible Verses about Obedience
Important passages about obedience, each shown in full in your chosen Bible version with its setting and meaning.
1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” The call and promise to Abram
God calls Abram to leave his homeland and promises land, a great nation and blessing for all the families of the earth. The rest of Genesis follows this promise, and…
All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.’” All nations blessed through your offspring
After Abraham was willing to offer Isaac, the angel of the LORD repeats God's promise: all the nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham's offspring, "because you have…
1God spoke all these words, saying, 2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3“You shall have no other gods before me. 4“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. 8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. 12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 13“You shall not murder. 14“You shall not commit adultery. 15“You shall not steal. 16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” The Ten Commandments
God speaks the commandments at Sinai after reminding Israel that he brought them out of slavery (20:2). They set out Israel's duties to God and to one another, and are…
4Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 9You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates. Hear, Israel: love the LORD your God
Known as the Shema. Moses calls Israel to love the one LORD with all their heart, soul and strength, and to talk about his words with their children at home…
19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants, 20to love the LORD your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Choose life
At the end of his speeches Moses sets before Israel life and death, blessing and curse, and urges them to choose life by loving the LORD, obeying him and holding…
8This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. 9Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Meditate on the law; be strong and courageous
The LORD commissions Joshua after Moses' death. Courage is tied to keeping the book of the law and to the promise that the LORD is with him wherever he goes.
If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” As for me and my house
At Shechem Joshua calls Israel to choose whom they will serve and declares that his household will serve the LORD. The people then renew the covenant.
Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the LORD’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. To obey is better than sacrifice
Samuel rebukes Saul for keeping what God had told him to destroy and excusing it as a gift for sacrifice. The LORD wants obedience more than religious offerings.
1Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; 2but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. 3He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. 4The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish. The way of the righteous
The first psalm contrasts the person who delights in the LORD's law, like a fruitful tree, with the wicked, who are like chaff. It introduces the whole book of Psalms.
9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10With my whole heart I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments. 11I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I have hidden your word in my heart
From the long psalm about God's word. A young person keeps their way pure by living by God's word and treasuring it in the heart.
This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Fear God and keep his commandments
The conclusion of Ecclesiastes after its search for meaning: fear God and keep his commandments, for God will bring every deed into judgement.
I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!” Here I am. Send me!
After his vision of the LORD and the cleansing of his lips, Isaiah hears God asking whom he should send, and answers at once.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse
God challenges post-exilic Judah for withholding the tithes that supported the temple and its workers, and invites them to test his faithfulness.
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’” Not by bread alone
Jesus answers the first temptation in the wilderness by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3: people live by every word that comes from God.
14“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. You are the light of the world
Jesus tells his followers they are the light of the world. Their good works should be seen, so that people glorify their Father in heaven, not the doers themselves.
24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. Take up your cross and follow me
After foretelling his death, Jesus tells his disciples that following him means denying themselves and taking up their cross; whoever loses their life for his sake will find it.
37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” The greatest commandments
Asked which commandment is greatest, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18: love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.
18Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Go and make disciples of all nations
The risen Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptising and teaching them, and promises to be with them always.
1Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. A living sacrifice; a renewed mind
After eleven chapters on God's mercy, Paul urges believers to offer their whole lives to God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, rather than conformed to this…
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” Children, obey your parents
Paul addresses children directly, quoting the commandment to honour father and mother; the next verse tells fathers not to provoke their children (6:4).
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, Work heartily, as for the Lord
Paul's words to slaves in a household passage: whatever they do, they should work wholeheartedly, as for the Lord. Christians apply the principle to all work and study.
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Faith without works is dead
James argues that faith which does nothing for a brother or sister in need is not living faith.
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