Obedience and Disobedience

# Obedience and Disobedience

"Obedience" and "disobedience" are two opposite actions. In its simple sense, "obedience" means following a certain law or command, while "disobedience" means resisting—not following. In Vietnamese literature, within the treasury of ancient proverbs, there is an old philosophical saying: "Those who obey Heaven shall endure; those who defy Heaven shall perish." This means: "To follow the will of Heaven brings survival; to oppose Heaven's will brings destruction." This philosophical principle has its origins in East Asian, Sino-Vietnamese thought, found in Confucian and Taoist teachings, and continues to be used in Vietnamese culture today. This shows that Vietnamese people have embraced and applied this philosophy as a universal truth about the way of Heaven and the way of humanity. Today, many Vietnamese scholars and authors have developed this philosophy when speaking about how to live in this world: To obey Heaven's way, nature's way, and moral law brings survival; to oppose it brings tragic consequences upon oneself.

"Heaven" here is understood as Heaven's Mandate, or the will of the Creator—God, the Lord. Those who know how to follow moral law, righteousness, and God's ordinances will prosper; while those who do evil and act contrary to God's will and moral law will be destroyed. Although the philosophy "Those who obey Heaven shall endure; those who defy Heaven shall perish" originates from East Asia, its core principle—that obedience to God's will always leads to life, while resistance leads to destruction—is a major theme throughout the Bible.

The truth "Those who obey Heaven shall endure; those who defy Heaven shall perish" (To follow God's will brings survival; to oppose God's will brings loss) is found in many biblical stories. Here are three prominent stories from the Old Testament.

The first story is the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). This is the foundational example of "defying Heaven" (resisting God's will). God clearly commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden: "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die" (Genesis 3:3). But they did not obey; they ate the fruit. They were driven out of the Garden of Eden, they reaped the consequences of their disobedience, they sinned against God, and spiritual death became the punishment that continues to this day. Humanity, desiring to escape spiritual death, must wholeheartedly believe in and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The second story is the disobedience of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 1). At first, the prophet Jonah did not obey God's command to go to the city of Nineveh. He tried to refuse and boarded a ship heading in another direction. His "defiance of Heaven" caused God to send a great storm, and the prophet Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. For three days and three nights in the fish's belly, he repented and cried out to God. After that, he "obeyed Heaven" (obeyed God's command), and God delivered him from the fish's belly to complete the mission God had entrusted to him.

The third story is the disobedience of King Saul (1 Samuel 15). King Saul was abandoned by God; the Spirit of God departed from him, because he prioritized his own desires and did not seek God's will to follow it. The prophet Samuel told him: "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Because King Saul refused God's word, God abandoned him and no longer allowed him to be king.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ teaches us through a parable about two people building houses—one who hears and obeys God's word, and one who hears but does not obey: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).

Indeed, Abraham was one who wholeheartedly obeyed God. He offered his firstborn son, Isaac, as a sacrifice, and God promised him: "...For because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:16-18), and God did exactly as He promised. Furthermore, King David experienced the blessing of obedience and God's favor, so he encouraged God's people saying: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:3-4).

As we begin the new year of 2026, let us remember this ancient truth that remains fulfilled to this day: "Those who obey Heaven shall endure; those who defy Heaven shall perish." Let us live as those who hear and do God's word, "like a wise man who built his house upon a rock," so that our entire life may be an offering pleasing to God, glorifying His name! "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones" (Proverbs 3:5-8). We pray that God will teach us and strengthen us to faithfully hear and obey His word, so that throughout our lives we may be a light to the nations to know Jesus Christ and His salvation plan! May we begin this new year in God's will! Amen!

*Begin the New Year in God's Will,* *Reflect and obey with all our hearts,* *Commands and Precepts—the Living Word,* *His plan and holy will—trust and hope!*

*Obey God's word, that is the best,* *The life the Father gives, brings joy and peace,* *Blessings and tranquility never cease,* *Live as a light, truly pure and bright!*

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