Obedience to God does not mean simply following the laws written out in the Bible. If that is our goal we would become so caught up in rule following that we forget to do the most important things, the things that all of the other laws hang on, loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Besides, no matter how diligently we follow the law, we can never follow it perfectly. We are simply incapable. The primary purpose of the law is to show us the difference between right and wrong, to guide us in the right way to live and show us just how hopeless we are to fulfill it, thus leading us straight to our need for a savior and to God’s great mercy. Then we might experience His love, and our resulting love and gratitude are proven in our obedience to His will, not just to a bunch of rules.
