Greetings, Fellow Sheepdogs & Supporters!   

As Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson) exclaimed in A Few Good Men, "We follow orders Son.  We follow orders or people die..." 

Clearly, the concept of following orders -- obedience -- is central to us both in law enforcement (military, etc.) AND in life in general.  Both the fictional Col. Jessup and those who served under him were guilty of being partially obedient and paid the consequences for same. Clearly, by both the military/law enforcement standard and God's, partial obedience means complete disobedience.   

Obedience is central both to life in general (see 1 Samuel 15:22) and to us as peace officers in particular (Romans 13:1-4). But in this fallen world, is true obedience even possible?

Webster's defines "obey" as "to comply with or be submissive to authority." Now here's a definition that is both disliked and understandable to us as cops (Romans 13:1-4, et al). Submission? Authority? Those words are definite turn-offs in our "modern" culture that places value on individuality and nonconformity.  So does God give us a different definition in His inerrant word, the Bible?  

The general concept of obedience both in the Old and New Testament relates to "hearing" or "hearkening" to a higher authority. One of the Greek terms for obedience conveys the idea of positioning oneself under someone by submitting to their authority and command. Another Greek word for obey in the New Testament means "to trust."  

According to Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, a succinct definition of biblical obedience is "to hear God's Word and act accordingly." 

Eerdman's Bible Dictionary says, "True 'hearing,' or obedience, involves the physical hearing that inspires the hearer, and a belief or trust that in turn motivates the hearer to act in accordance with the speaker's desires."

Accordingly, biblical obedience simply means to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and thereby be in obedience to his Word.

God has called us all to this kind of surrendered obedience. Moreover, we need to understand that that our loving but just Father will sometimes take drastic measures to get our attention.  In the case of Saul (later renamed Paul) in the 9th chapter of Acts, it entailed being struck blind on the Damascus road. God literally knocked him to the ground with a blinding light. A voice from Heaven asked Paul why he was persecuting Him (Jesus) and, when Paul arose, he could no longer see. Jesus told him to go to Damascus and meet a man named Ananias where our Lord restored Paul's sight through this obedient servant (see Acts 9:1-22). 

Whenever God begins this breaking process in the life of a sinner, He calls others to assist -- to provide "backup." Ananias was the backup in Paul's life. However, Ananias also found it sp unbelievable that Paul really could have been saved (after all, Saul "the cop" was en route to Damascus to arrest and persecute more Christians) that God sent an angel had to convince him. Has God placed such an individual in your path? Perhaps God is calling YOU to be an "Ananias" in the life of one of our own.  To do so requires both obedience and a willingness to come alongside (disciple) those who need our help.  In fact, that is a big part of what we do as a law enforcement ministry. As with Ananias, the person(s) we reach out to could very well end being another type of Paul!

As it relates to issue of partial obedience, we as LEOs have a hard time giving up control in our lives.  It can be likened to the training pilots go through to bring an aircraft out of a spin, to wit, the willingness to take their hands off the yoke (the plane will often then right itself).  This goes against our natural inclination to control and manipulate in order to bring things back under OUR control. It is scary to be out of control but that is what God is calling us to do -- to give Him the "steering wheel" of our lives. 

Another Saul -- this one being Israel's first king -- was a man trying to control losing "his" kingdom to David. It began with compromise to God's law and "marching orders."  Eventually, Saul was given a final test to fully obey the voice of God (taking out God's wicked enemies) and he elected to do obey in part only.  In response, the prophet Samuel delivered a hard word to King Saul:  "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king" (1 Sam. 15:26). Saul's partial obedience led to his removal as king of Israel and his calling from God (and, some 500 years later, the near destruction of Israel as revealed in Esther). Why would Saul do such a thing? At the core of Saul's disobedience was fear of losing control -- a fear that led to partial obedience (sin) and the loss of his reign as king.

How many of us are in danger of losing God's blessing due to full or partial obedience? How many of us have such a need to control people and circumstances that we fail to walk in full obedience to God's word? How many of us justify the partial obedience based on whatever circumstances we feel will benefit us?

Both Saul of the OT and Saul (Paul) of the NT provide great lessons for us as cops and in life in general.  That said, how can we as fallen sinners be truly obedient to God's call (word) in our lives?  When we turn (repent) from our sin and enter into a right relationship (not "religion") with God in Christ, we receive the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to help us obey and lead the lives God is calling us to.  Like King Saul, we are simply too flawed and sinful to do it on our own (in the same way that we can never be "good" enough or otherwise "earn" heaven outside of what Christ did for us on the cross).  

Won't you turn to Him in faith and repentance today? How?  Start by going to our website and clicking on the links under "KNOW GOD?" (AKA true officer safety).  Then find a solid, Bible-teaching church AND hopefully a group of other like-minded believers who, like Ananias, will help and disciple you in your journey of faith (for LEOs, go to our FCPO chapter page). Do it NOW -- tomorrow may very well be too late and there are NO second chances if you die in your sin.  Finally, if you need our direct help, please feel free to reach out by shooting me an email to [email protected].  

Blessings!