Obedience to the word of God is a necessity if we wish to live a Godly life.

 

159. Obedience to the word of God is a necessity if we wish to live a Godly life and be considered obeying the holy covenant; this is one of the causes of our spiritual growth in this earthly life, and in reality it is for our very own spiritual good and well being: We must obey the word and commandments of The Lord if we truly wish to be worthy of His love. Mankind has a knack for picking out, of religion, that which suits him to follow and disregarding the rest. He rationalizes to himself that if I do this and no one sees me, or it is such a little thing, it won’t cause harm to anyone; but by obedience we demonstrate our true feelings to God and not just mouthing empty, hollow words that have no life in them. God makes something a law for a very good reason and it usually relates to our own spiritual health, or not causing harm or hardship on someone else. This is a teaching found in the Bible and it is a teaching also found in the Bahá’í Faith and the other religions.  Judaism: Deuteronomy 11:26 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;” 11:27 “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of The LORD your God, which I command you this day:” 11:28 “And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of The LORD your God,” Deuteronomy 27:10 “Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of The LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes, which I command thee this day.” Deuteronomy 30:20 “That thou mayest love The LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days:” 1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath The LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of The LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”  Christianity: Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.”

 ISLAM: Letter 53. “Always keep the fear of Allah (God) in your mind, give priority to His worship and give preference to obeying His Commands over every other thing in life.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

Islam: 32. “Obey Allah and His Messenger; but if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith.” 132. Obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy.” 13. “Those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever).”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs  3 and 4)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 3. “I will speak of that which Mazda Ahura (God), the All-Knowing, revealed to me first in this (earthly) life. Those of you that put not in practice this word as I think and utter it, to them shall be woe at the end of life.” 5. ‘they who for my sake render Him obedience shall all attain unto Well-fare and Immortality by the actions of the Good Spirit’ – (He) Mazda Ahura.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 45)

 Zoroastrianism: “Discipline means purity of thought, purity of words and purity of deeds.” “Mazda is the upholder of rectitude (good morals). The more virtuous a man is the nearer he comes to Mazda, the source of perpetual delight.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 580)

 Zoroastrianism: Denkard. Zoroaster, “The thought of adoring the one Life-giver (i.e. God) is due to living in accordance with His laws.”  “The Lord delights in persons who on all occasions conduct themselves in accordance with His wishes and behests; and He is displeased with persons who on all occasions transgress his wishes and commands. Of such contumacious persons it is stated in the Religion that they observe not His behests and wishes.”

 HINDUISM: 9. “For that man who obeys the law prescribed in the revealed texts and in the sacred tradition, gains fame in this (world) and after death unsurpassable bliss.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 2)

 Hinduism: 12. “He who desires happiness must strive after a perfectly contented disposition and control himself; for happiness has contentment for its root.” 14. “Let him, untired, perform daily the rites prescribed for him in the Veda; for he who performs those according to his ability, attains to the highest state.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 4)

 BUDDHISM: “Lay members should abstain from all unkindness, stealing, unchastity, lying, duplicity, slander, frivolous talk, covetousness, malice, currying favor, and false teachings. Disciples should strictly observe all the precepts given by the Tathagatas, they should endeavor, by their example, to induce all beings to abandon evil and practice the good.” (Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 Buddhism: 1. “Even if the thoughtless can recite many of the scriptures, if they do not act accordingly, they are not living the holy life, but are like a cowherd counting the cows of others.” “Even if the faithful can recite only a few of the scriptures, if they act accordingly, having given up passion, hate, and folly, being possessed of true knowledge and serenity of mind, craving nothing in this world or the next, they are living the holy life.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “Do not slumber and sleep, and forget not what your lord commanded you.” Obedience to the ordinances of God is a must for anybody living the holy life. (Sabeanism, Instruction of Adam)

Sabeanism: “Any man who is not steadfast (in thought) Whose mind is turned against me, Whose mind is turned from me, Great and not small will be his hurt.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 89)

 BABI RELIGION: “Gird up the loins of endeavour, and be mindful of the words of God as revealed in His Book.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 92)

 Babi Religion: “O people of the earth! Whoso obeyeth the Remembrance of God and His Book hath in truth obeyed God and His chosen ones and he will, in the life to come, be reckoned in the presence of God among the inmates of the Paradise of His good-pleasure.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 43)

BAHA’I FAITH: “It is incumbent upon everyone to obey Him in whatsoever God hath ordained;”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 108)

Baha’i Faith: “Give ear unto the verses of God which He Who is the sacred Lote-Tree reciteth unto you. They are assuredly the infallible balance, established by God, the Lord of this world and the next. Through them the soul of man is caused to wing its flight towards the Dayspring of Revelation and the heart of every true believer is suffused with light. Such are the laws which God hath enjoined upon you, such His commandments prescribed unto you in His Holy Tablet; obey them with joy and gladness, for this is best for you, did ye but know.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 73)