Charles Spurgeon on Obedience

"You are God’s creature, and yet you have rendered to Him no obedience! You would
not keep a horse or a dog that did not do you some service, or follow at your whistle."

“Sir,” said the Duke of Wellington to an officer of engineers, who urged the
impossibility of executing the directions he had received, “I did not ask your opinion,
I gave you my orders, and I expect them to be obeyed.” Such should be the obedience
of every follower of Jesus. The words which he has spoken are our law, not our
judgments or fancies. Even if death were in the way it is—

“Not ours to reason why—
Ours, but to dare and die;”

"That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the
heart, and if He seeth that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him,
He will reject our offering."

"Some Christians are very curious, but not obedient. Plain precepts are neglected,
but difficult problems they seek to solve."

"Do what the Lord bids you, where he bids you, as he bids you, as long as he bids you,
and do it at once."

"Love is the chief jewel in the bracelet of obedience."

"Obedience rendered without delight in rendering it is only half obedience."

"It seems to me that half the beauty of obedience consists in obeying the command at
once."

"Which is the best servant—the man who must always have his orders written for
him every morning, and who at night excuses himself for the neglect of many an
obvious duty because, as he says, “It was not down on the paper, sir; I have followed
your instructions,”—is he the better servant, or the other man who thinks, after he
has obeyed his orders, “What ought I to do for my master? Is there not this thing, or
that thing which, though it may not be absolutely recorded or written down, yet is
intended in the spirit of my instructions?” Do you not love the child who looks out for
occasions and opportunities to please you? Do you not feel a satisfaction in accepting
from a friend a kindness which may be almost unexpected, and which manifests to
you that he must have been thinking about you, and has, perhaps, lain awake all
night to consider how he could gratify or serve you? You feel that this is sincere
friendship. So is it with your service for God."

"No man is really saved unless he is in his heart obedient to Christ."

"Obedience is one of the lessons of wisdom which this age needs to learn, for
everybody must be master or mistress nowadays. We all desire to rule, and we all feel
that we could do it far better than the present leaders are doing it."