The Gateway to True Freedom
📖 Scripture Readings: Genesis 2:4-19 | Isaiah 2:11-21
🪜 The Ladder of Divine Ascent – Step 4: Obedience
Welcome back to our 40-day Lenten journey through The Ladder of Divine Ascent and the appointed Scripture readings. If you missed previous reflections, particularly Day 1’s introduction, I encourage you to read them first. Today, we focus on the fourth step of The Ladder: obedience.
Step 4: The Strength and Paradox of Obedience
We live in an age that glorifies independence. From childhood, we are taught to “think for ourselves,” to question authority, to trust our own instincts above all else. Society celebrates the self-made individual—the one who breaks the mold, who bends the rules, who refuses to bow to anyone.
To the modern mind, shaped by the values of autonomy and self-determination, obedience can seem like a limitation. But in reality, obedience is not about servitude—it is about alignment. Obedience is not blind submission but a willing surrender to wisdom greater than our own. It is the discipline that tames our passions, silences our pride, and opens our hearts to transformation. It is the act of bowing before God so that we might one day rise with Him.
“Obedience is absolute renunciation of our own life, clearly expressed in our bodily actions… Obedience is the tomb of the will and the resurrection of humility.”
Throughout the history of faith, obedience has been the refining fire of the saints. Abraham obeyed and left Ur without knowing his destination. The prophets obeyed God’s commands even when it led them into suffering. Christ Himself, in the ultimate act of obedience, said, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). It is obedience that transforms us from mere hearers of the Word into doers (James 1:22).
The Blessings of Obedience
Why should we be obedient? What do we gain by yielding our will to God’s? St. John Climacus gives us the answer:
“From obedience comes humility, and from humility comes dispassion; for the Lord remembered us in our humility and redeemed us from our enemies.”
Obedience fosters humility, which in turn grants discernment and clarity. When we obey, we no longer rely on our own wisdom but on the wisdom of God and His appointed guides. This releases us from anxiety, confusion, and the burdens of self-reliance.
Moreover, obedience brings divine protection. St. John tells us:
“Obedience is an abandonment of [our limited] discernment [for a] wealth of discernment.”
By choosing obedience, we surrender our limited vision for God’s all-encompassing wisdom. It is in this surrender that we find security, peace, and ultimately, transformation.
And from the beginning of creation, obedience has been the key to true life.
Genesis 2:4-19—Adam’s First Task: Obedience in the Garden
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:15-17)
God placed Adam in a paradise beyond imagination—a world without suffering, without death, where he walked in perfect harmony with his Creator. And yet, even in this perfect place, obedience was required.
God places Adam in Eden with everything he needs, but with one boundary—“Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). This was not an arbitrary command. It was an invitation to trust, an opportunity for Adam to submit to God’s wisdom over his own.
But Adam and Eve struggled with obedience. Why should they submit? Why should they not take what was desirable to their own eyes? Their fall was not about fruit—it was about pride, about choosing their own way rather than bowing before God’s wisdom.
This is the struggle we all face.
- Why should I submit to fasting, when my body craves indulgence?
- Why should I obey God’s commands, when my desires tell me otherwise?
- Why should I listen to the wisdom of the Church, when the world tells me to follow my own truth?
Because obedience is the path to life.
Adam’s disobedience brought death—not because God was cruel, but because to turn away from the Source of Life is to enter darkness.
But this is not just Adam’s story—it is ours. Each time we choose disobedience, we mimic Adam’s rebellion, grasping for control rather than trusting the Father.
Obedience, on the other hand, restores us.
“The fruit of obedience is joy, peace, and freedom from all the cares of the world.” — St. Isaac the Syrian
Each time we choose obedience, we take a step back toward the Garden, back toward communion with God.
Isaiah 2:11-21—The Humbling of the Proud
Isaiah gives us a terrifying picture of what happens when we refuse to obey:
“The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (Isaiah 2:11)
Pride is the refusal to obey. It is the declaration that we know better than God, that we can build our own paradise without Him.
This is the spirit of the world today.
- We trust science over faith, believing we can create meaning without God.
- We follow our own desires, rejecting any moral law that tells us “no.”
- We view obedience as weakness, celebrating rebellion as strength.
But Isaiah warns:
“They shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to terrify the earth.” (Isaiah 2:19)
Just as Adam’s pride led to his fall, so too will the pride of every generation collapse under the weight of its own arrogance.
“Obedience is life, disobedience is death, just as it was in the case of Adam.” – St. Dorotheos of Gaza
To obey God is to stand on solid ground, to build on the unshakable foundation of truth. To refuse obedience is to build on sand—on human wisdom, which collapses under the first storm.
The Blessings of Obedience—Why It Matters
Obedience isn’t just about rules—it’s about transformation.
1. Obedience Opens the Door to Wisdom
- “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” (Proverbs 13:1)
- When we obey, we humble ourselves, making space for God’s wisdom to shape us.
2. Obedience Guards Us from Harm
- Many of God’s commands exist to protect us from suffering.
- “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
3. Obedience Draws Us Closer to God
- Christ said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
- Obedience isn’t about control—it’s about relationship.
4. Obedience Prepares Us for Greater Things
- Before David was king, he obeyed in small things—tending sheep, serving Saul.
- Before St. Paul became the great missionary, he spent years in hidden obedience.
- God prepares those who obey for greater work.
“The soul that yields itself in obedience to God’s will finds rest from all earthly cares and is lifted to heavenly contemplation.” — St. Symeon the New Theologian
The world tells us that freedom comes from doing whatever we want—but Scripture teaches us that true freedom comes from obedience to Christ.
“For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, because everyone who God has fathered conquers the world.” – 1 John 5:3-4
When we obey, we do not lose our freedom—we find it.
Applying This to Our Lives
How does this apply to the modern Christian? We may not be monks under a spiritual elder, but obedience is still our calling. Here’s how we live it:
- Obedience to God’s Word – Align your life with Scripture, even when it is difficult.
- Obedience in Daily Responsibilities – Honor commitments in work, family, and church as service to God.
- Obedience to Spiritual Authority – Seek guidance from a wise, God-fearing spiritual Father.
- Obedience in Prayer – Sometimes prayer feels dry, but obeying the discipline of prayer leads to breakthrough.
“He who obeys his spiritual father finds rest from the tumult of thoughts and is led to the harbor of God’s will.” – St. Isaac the Syrian
The Path Forward: Will You Bow So That You May Rise?
In a world that glorifies rebellion, obedience is an act of defiance. It is a declaration that we trust God more than ourselves.
Obedience is not oppression; it is liberation. It is the path by which we unburden ourselves and walk in the wisdom of God. Let us embrace it, knowing that, as St. John Climacus assures us, “Who would not follow this fair way of obedience, seeing such blessings in store for him?”
Christ bowed in obedience—and through it, He conquered death.
“He humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.”
Phil 2:8-11
Will we follow Him?
Reflection Questions
- Where do I struggle with obedience the most?
- How can I submit to God’s wisdom rather than my own?
- What small acts of obedience can I practice today?
Tomorrow, we continue our ascent. But today, let us focus on this simple, powerful step:
Not my will, but Yours be done.
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