Maybe our obedience is simply accepting this promise from God. Obedience is, after all, a gift from God. It is something we receive from God. And when the true Christian offers his obedience, it must be cleansed by Christ's obedience.

If we do promise God to obey Him, it is like promising to give someone filthy rags. Not exactly enticing. That's exactly what the Israelites did at Sinai, thereby establishing the Old Covenant.

The basis of God’s covenant with Abraham centered on God’s promises to him. God says to Abraham four times, “I will.” God’s promises to Abraham are amazing because they are completely one-sided. God does all the promising; Abraham promises nothing. This is the opposite of how most people try to relate to God. We usually promise we will serve Him, if only He will do something for us in return. But that is legalism. God did not ask Abraham to promise anything but to accept His promises by faith. Of course, that was no easy task, because Abraham had to learn to trust completely in God and not in himself (see Genesis 22). The call of Abraham illustrates, therefore, the essence of the gospel, which is salvation by faith.

If we do promise God to obey Him, it is like promising to give someone filthy rags.

However, if the promise is made while abiding in Jesus and partaking of the divine nature - it is not a promise of filthy rags, rather it is the promise of "righteousness and true holiness" (Eph 4:24).

"What we need to repent for is the unrighteousness that we taint [the righteous results of abiding in Jesus] with." Where in the Bible is this idea explained? We're warned, "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as [Jesus] is righteous." "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as [Jesus] is pure."

The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God. They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor, who is at God's right hand, presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God. All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned. {1SM 344.2}

Galatians 5:16-17
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

Romans 7:25
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.