In order to return us to the state of shalom for which we were created, but have since rejected, Christ has come. His work on the cross has paid the price for humankind’s continual disobedience. Christians obey, then, largely out of gratefulness for that saving, restorative act. Our prayers of obedience, like Jonah’s, are not only pathways to flourishing but also pledges of thankfulness and faith.
