Is There Only One Motivation for Obedience?

For Christians who know they are saved by grace and not by works, there is always a fundamental question that arises: Why should I obey God?  This question is not about whether Christians should obey God (all agree on that), but about the proper motivation for obeying God.  What should drive our sanctification?

Some have answered this question by suggesting that there is only one proper motivation for our obedience, namely our justification.  We should look back at the finished work of Christ with gratitude and appreciation, and this will drive us to follow and obey him.

Now, there is much that is commendable about this motivation.  Indeed, I would argue that the finished work of Christ, and his great mercy and grace toward us, is the core motivation for our obedience.

But, what is interesting is that the Bible does not offer just this single motivation. God’s word offers a multiplicity of reasons for our obedience that touch different aspects of our life and that motivate us from a variety of angles.  In this way, God creates an argument for our obedience that is broader and wider and more difficult for us to escape or ignore.   Continue at  Michael J. Kruger