At the same time, none of the specific commands of the Decalogue are set aside. Even the Sabbath was observed by Jesus Himself and by His dis- ciples after Him. The ethical results of the Jewish development were, therefore, conserved by Jesus, who added to them the more spiritual interpreta- tion of the facts of history and experience, and to this extent made them richer and more compre- hensive. Not merely judicial false witness (Ex 20'^ -ii^jff ^i;), but every form of lying (iZ-eOSos, as the absence of all dX^^eta, Jn 8"), come under His dis- approval (as already in Pr 26-^).
^he great standard and guide of our obedience therefore becomes the will of God as manifested both in His written word and in His providence. It is not so much the general will of God that we are to seek to learn. This is generally easy to Tinderstand and recognize. It is His specific will, as manifested in the course of events, in the un- foldings of our personal history, that we are to learn how to understand and fulfil. Thus obedi- ence rests upon the study of history both general and individual to ourselves (Mt 26^^, cf. Jn 4^^ 5^), and consists fundamentally in submission to the Divine will.
Sin is therefore not to be conceived of as merely disobedience to specific precepts of the Law. It is this ; but it has its secret in the failure to adjust oneself to the will of God as such. Obedience is not profession empty of definite good works (Mt 7^M ; it is not even always to be found with those who ' prophesy ' and perform miracles ( Mt V^). The em- phasis in the Gospels is laid upon ' faith ' in Jesus Christ as fully as it is in the Epistles. This granted, as the important and controlling element of the religious life, obedience follows from it as a matter of course. Such obedience, however defective in form, is genuine obedience, acceptable in God's sight. This is because God wants the man, not his acts ; his heart, and not any material gift. With the heart will naturally be given to God every other desirable service. /
Hence the penalty of disobedience, since this is essentially difference with God, is first of all separa- tion from Him. It is ' darkness ' because men re- fuse the ' light ' ( Jn 1" 318-21). The sinner is in his ' own place ' (Ac P^), the place fit for him because he is what he is. The penalty involves pain (Mt n^\ cf. Rev 14"), is judicial (Mt 253' etc.), and involves the personal disapproval of God (Mt 25*') ; but it is, in a high sense, natural and inevitable. The wicked man, being what he is, cannot meet with any other lot than what he has. (Obedience, -,on the other hand, leads to reward. I This is not 'deserved,' and so given as a matter of justice.
Sinners will always 'deserve' punishment. But God freely rewards the forgiven sinner Avhose heart is right with Him, because of His own goodness, that He may express His favour. Thus the lot of the saved man is the reverse of the sinner's, and is a state of bles.sedness in the presence of God.
Literature. — Hastings' DB, art. 'Obedience'; Martensen, Christ. Ethics, i. 293; F. W. Robertson, Sermons, ii. 94; W. A. Butler, Sennons, ii. 164 ; Channing, The Perfect Life, xi ; Dale, Evangel. Revival, 104ff., 125 £F., Laics of Christ for Common Life, 273. FRANK HUGH FOSTER.
OBSCURITY.— Those who are called from dark- ness to light do not perform the journey instan- taneously, and so must be conscious of obscurity, in various ways and to different degrees, in their pro- gressive apprehension of the gospel of Christ. Yet we are assured that nothing is hid, save that it shoidd be manifested (Mk 4'^^) ; and the Holy Spirit is promised us for guidance into all the truth (Jn 14-^ 16'^). All four Gospels speak of a clouding of the eyes and dulling of the ears of the perverse (Mt 1313, Mk 4'-, Lk 8'», Jn 12^_0). To the heedful and amenable the teaching wdll be made plainer and plainer (Lk 8'^ lO^'). To the haughty and cunning nothing clear can be vouchsafed (Lk 13^^). In teaching by parables there was necessarily an element of obscurity ; but this stumbling-block Christ fi-equently removed (Mt 13"), and promised the clearance of all hindrances to the perfect knowledge of God (Jn 16'^- ^^). Obscurity was not infrequently felt by the Apostles in their efforts to discern the meaning of the Lord's other utter- ances. The teaching about the eternal food of His flesh and blood for the life of the world was felt to be ' a hard saying ' ( Jn 6^"). The foretelling of His cruel death and glorious resurrection was not at first understood (Lk 18^'*). Indeed, the Apostles experienced a signal opening of mind after the Resurrection in respect of the prophecies implying His Passion (Lk 24''^). Thus in the Last Discourse tliey are found exclaiming, ' We know not what he saith ' (Jn 16'*) ; and a little later they gratefully confess, ' Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb' (Jn 16-^). Ob- scurity there must often be when spiritual realities are expressed by the inadequate vehicle of human vocabulary. Such an instance may be : ' This is your hour, and the power of darkness ' (Lk 22'^). The living spirit cannot be expressed by the dead letter except in similitudes and allegories (Jn 3**). When the Infinite strives to find portrayal in the finite, there must be what we call obscurity. Richness of significance and application attaches to heavenly truths which might at first seem ob- scure (Jn 3^'). Obscurity must disappear more and more, for the darkness cannot confine the Light of the world within any bounds (Jn P 8'^ 9^). The steadfast disciple will learn to under- stand His speech (Jn 8*^), and release from obscur- ity will convey increase of freedom (Jn 8^-'). The gospel is not meant to remain obscure (Mt 5'^).