We like to argue these days about the broad issues of sinlessness, perfection, the nature of Christ, and the like. Such discussions may be edifying for some, but on the whole these issues have the net effect on our own personal lives of making us more sinful, less perfect, and farther from having the nature of Christ. The dilemma is that everybody seems to be the problem but me. Let's not forget yesterday nor cease to look forward to tomorrow. But let us remember that God judges us by what we are today.
When we think about what God wants to do in our lives, we tend to see it as something for the future. We’re always “getting ready” for something—the End of the World, the Judgment, the Second Coming. For this reason we keep passing the buck to the future generations. When will we see that being ready—not getting ready—is for us here and now? Will the real people of God please stand up!
What I'm trying to say is that obedience is where the promises of God for the future become present blessings. Obedience is where all that He has promised to do for somebody someday becomes real for us now.
I believe that the most relevant theological issue that faces Christians of all denominations, especially in these last days, is the issue of obedience. Remember that obedience is about an attitude. Therefore, we are not almost obedience in God's eyes, or half obedient. We are either obedient or disobedient.
The purpose of salvation is to restore us to a right relationship with God; in plain language that means to restore us to a state of obedience. Although obedience is an attitude, the application of obedience is learned. God does not count a person as disobedient who is living up to all the light he has. Obedience then is a school in which we are constantly learning and putting into practice what we have learned.
I believe that we will continue to learn obedience even in the earth made new, where we shall ever be learning of God and ever seeking to glorify Him and do that which is well pleasing in His sight.
There are two pitfalls to avoid when thinking of obedience. The first is that we think of obedience as something we finally attain to. The fact is, we are judged, not only according to the light we have but whether we were obedient to that light. Anyone in any age, whether they had much light or little, who was knowingly disobedient will not be in the kingdom of heaven.
The other pitfall is that a person who understands that obedience is an attitude might conclude that obedience is philosophical and not necessarily practical. But let us ever bear in mind that obedience is what makes the Christian life real, not theoretical. An attitude of obedience will continually translate into action and impact every aspect of our lives. In fact, we can know if we have an attitude of obedience by measuring or evaluating our lifestyles. A person whose ongoing lifestyle does not reflect the known will of God cannot claim to have an obedient attitude.
That being said, it is important to understand that God judges not just the actions but the heart. Inasmuch as only God knows the heart, only He can determine who actually has an obedient attitude. Does this mean that what is right for one person may be wrong for another? Let's put it this way. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It is right to say that water naturally flows downhill; it is wrong to say that water naturally flows uphill. But supposing a person has been taught all his life that water naturally flows uphill. If that person should say to you in all faith that water naturally flows uphill, he would be saying it in a spirit of obedience, whereas a person who knows better and yet says that water naturally flows uphill would be saying it in a spirit of disobedience.
And so, a person who knows better is disobedient. Also, a person who says that ignorance is bliss is nevertheless disobedient because he refuses to know what God's will is for his life. The question we should continually ask ourselves is not, Do I know someone who is disobedient? but rather, Am I myself disobedient? and, Is it my desire to know more and more the will of God and to implement it in my life?
When we have an attitude that wants to obey God in every particular of our lives, this attitude will always express itself in our lifestyle. Scripture says that out of the heart are the issues of life. When applying obedience to the daily life, an attitude of obedience will look for the principle involved. There may be some who would see it otherwise, but God will not tell you what to eat for breakfast or what clothes to put on in the morning. Human beings are not computers, nor were the details of our lives written out by someone other than ourselves. As God's people manifest the spirit of obedience, will they all wear the same clothes or have the same thing for breakfast? I think not.
We live in a multicultural world. Not only that, each family is to a great extent its own mini culture. We have in the past sought for a uniformity in the church that has tended to diminish creativity, which is the essence of what God intended to be one of the joys of our existence. Of course our differences will reflect our different perspectives, but they will all be driven by a heart's desire to do the will of God and to glorify His name. And our creativity will be the same in the sense that it will be within the context of Philippians 4:8--whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.
As God writes His law in our hearts, two things will happen. One is that artificial or constrained obedience will disappear. This means that traditional measurements of disobedience will no longer be valid. Jesus was an example of this. When the Pharisees tried to apply their own external standards of obedience to Jesus, they didn't fit and so they accused Him of disobedience.
The second thing that will happen to us as God writes His law in our hearts will be that our application of obedience will be consistent and based on principle, and our lives will appear to be stricter to some and more liberal to others.
But one thing is certain. As God gives us an attitude of obedience, we will realize joy and at the same time peace and confidence with God. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are sons and daughters of God. Only an experience of obedience can make a reality of the promise, "Behold, old things are passed away and all things have become new." We will have the assurance of salvation, not because someone has told us we are saved but because we know that we have received in our lives the Holy Spirit as a down payment and His presence is producing the fruit of love, etc.
To be able to make obedience real in our lives, we need to know not only what disobedience is but what obedience is. In order to know what sickness is, we must know what health is. The problem is that as far as human behavior is concerned we have spent more time studying sickness than wellness. We have used ourselves as the standard rather than God. Scripture says that those who compare themselves among themselves are not wise. And so now we have actually come to the point of calling darkness light and light darkness.
We can never know what truth is and, therefore, what obedience is, until we come to a clear concept of who God is and what His holiness means. The net worth of a society, whether it be a church society or a secular society, can be measured by the prevailing attitude of its members toward evil. A person does not need to be a thief or a murderer, a promiscuous person or a pervert themselves to nevertheless be guilty of these evils if his attitude toward them produces an atmosphere in which they flourish.
There is the point, then, in which a society, whether religious or secular, is held accountable by God for its attitude towards sin and will suffer the consequences caused by the sins of the minority, which sins were actually encouraged by the attitude of the majority. Put in a simpler way, if we encourage a person to do wrong, we ourselves are accountable for the results of their wrongdoing and will ourselves suffer the consequences of their actions.
Let's look at two applications of obedience to two specific areas of our lives. Though our daily lives have a number of facets, the facets which I will mention have perhaps the greatest impact upon our present and future destiny as individuals and as families and societies. These facets are our sexuality and our health.
We begin by speaking to one aspect of sexuality that is being increasingly flaunted openly and aggressively. I will speak of this frankly because in the media and even before our eyes we are being exposed to this evil. Let's now hear another side of the story -- God's side.
An attitude that would condone or dismiss as an alternative lifestyle the practice of homosexuality is a blasphemy against the Creator. Our sexuality is a principle based upon our creation in which God made male and female. We should understand that the human personality is not only male or female but the union of both, not in one person but in two. Sexuality is not only of the anatomy, it is also psychological and emotional. It can be recognized that sin has damaged our genetics and in doing so has damaged every component of our being. It can also be recognized that our sexuality -- psychologically, emotionally, and physically -- may be genetically or even environmentally impaired. However, to recognize the abnormal as normal is to institutionalize sin and the effects that it has had upon us. Such a recognition of the abnormal as normal makes the plan of salvation null and void.
Nowhere in Scripture do we find that the crippled, the deaf, or the blind will be excluded from heaven. However, in spite of the wresting of Scripture to the contrary, the word of God is clear as to the destiny of those who persist in practicing homosexual perversion. For whatever reason a person could argue that he was born with a propensity to kill, steal, or lie, yet society is clear and the Bible is unequivocal as to the destiny of those who practice murder, thievery, or lying. Why our present society cannot seem to sort out the evil of practicing sexual perversion is beyond understanding.
Let us make no mistake. Redemption through Jesus Christ has as its purpose to restore our nature to the way it was when it came forth from the hand of God. Those concepts which called the unnatural natural and resist the redemption and salvation that Jesus purchased for us on the cross are doomed to everlasting destruction in the judgment.
Why does God hate the practice of sexual perversion? Because it is a strike against His created order. It is driven by lust, which, like a whirlpool of death, draws the whole society downward. As society accepts the practice of homosexuality, fuel is added to the evils of adultery and fornication until there is a great moral conflagration that will not burn out until the wicked are ashes under the feet of the righteous and God makes all things new.
From time to time I am asked questions regarding the advisability of women wearing men's clothing. I usually answer that I’m not sure what is meant by men's clothing. I used to live in the Punjab section of Pakistan. In Pakistan women have always worn pants under their dresses. When we speak about men's and women's clothing, we must find the principle of obedience that is involved. I believe that the principle is the principle of masculinity and femininity. This principle was established when God made us male and female.
The confusion today is not the confusion of clothing but of the essence of who we are. I believe that women particularly are the targets of this diabolical struggle for the soul of humankind. I say this because the net result of this struggle will be to debase the whole race, but particularly women. Woman was the most exquisite of the creation to come from the hands of God, and when sin came she was its first casualty.
The flood of immorality that used to be restrained by the church and social legislation will first carry away womanhood. We've always had problems with “dirty old men”, but now the dirt is crossing gender lines. What should a daughter of God do in the face of this aggression directed against her very being? The answer is not to dress in the style of the last century. But it seems to me the answer must be found through prayer and within the woman herself. Recognizing that femininity is a principle, she will dress with two considerations in mind: one, that her clothing would enhance and protect her femininity. Clothing in whatever generation that blurs the distinction between masculinity and femininity should be avoided. Of course, this is getting more and more difficult, because while Satan is trying to destroy the essence of femininity, he is also successfully destroying the essence of masculinity. The result of this is a popular term called unisex.
Another point to be considered is that femininity is not about being sexy. A daughter of God will be sensitive not to dress in such a way that will cause her to be seen as a body to be lusted after instead of a person. While women say they resent being seen as objects, there seems to be an inconsistency on the part of some in their dress and behavior in this regard. We must recognize that there is a fire within which, if not kept under control, will consume our souls. Because lust is never satisfied, it can become the driving force in many lives and will, if not surrendered to the Holy Spirit, cause us to lose eternal life.
Brothers and sisters, in these evil days let us not be blinded by the darkness that surrounds us. The Bible must be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. No matter who they may be or what excuses they may give, those who persist in practicing fornication, adultery, and homosexuality will not enter the kingdom of heaven. One of the most practical yet challenging and even difficult applications of obedience in the life of the Christian is the area of our lives having to do with our own bodies. This includes appetite as well as sexuality. This aspect of our lives, if not brought into obedience, results in severe and serious distortions and consequences in our psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical lives.
Regarding the aspect of our health, I suppose you have heard people say, "It's my life, I can live it as I like." Nowhere is this less true than in the area of our health. Several times I have seen a billboard showing the picture of a man sitting in a wheelchair. He has evidently had a stroke. The message of the picture promotes a healthy lifestyle. When I see that billboard, I think of the many fathers and husbands who say that their smoking and drinking and unhealthy diet or lack of exercise is their own business--until the day they have a stroke. Then who has to pick them up off the floor? Who has to push them around and feed them and get them dressed?
No, it's not my life to live as I wish as long as my wife and family have to pick up the pieces or pay the bill and time, effort, and their own personal lives. My health does not belong just to me but to my family and, of course, to God; for He says that our bodies belonged to Him. The person who has received the gift of obedience and who is enjoying the blessings of obedience will be obedient to the obvious rules of health.
But we must be careful not to be obsessed with our bodies. To be obsessed with any particular aspect of our lives is in itself unhealthy. The gift of the Holy Spirit will bring self control in all of the areas of our lives. We must be careful to avoid an “all or nothing” mentality—if we can’t meet our own expectations, then we’re not going to even try. The secret is balance in all that is good.
The opposite of what we call obsessive/compulsive behavior is self control. We can't get self-control from self. It is a gift of God. He will give it to us if we will ask Him for it. But if we are to make obedience real, our obedience will not be a superficial, skin-deep experience but a heart-deep experience. As the Holy Spirit gives us a new heart, He also gives us an attitude of obedience. The Holy Spirit actually put into us a desire to obey. Jesus called it a “hungering and thirsting after righteousness”. To truly obey from the heart we need to understand the principles that are involved in obedience, because obedience is not a robot-like experience or a reflex action. We are not programmed to obey, neither are we asked to obey without thinking. Jesus said that it was His delight to do the will of the Father. This means that obedience in every case is a choice. After all, salvation in Jesus Christ doesn't take away our power of choice. Rather, it is redemption through the cross of Christ that gives us back the power of choice.
When we say that our obedience to God is based on choice, I don't believe it means that, as we receive the spirit of obedience and learn to obey, we will struggle with our decisions and say to ourselves, Shall we or shall we not please God? It’s not that kind of choice.
The key word is delight. You know how your decisions are affected in relationship with those you love. A young man who is in love with his sweetheart is not hung up on the options of whether to make the one he loves happy or not. Love is concerned about only one thing, and that is that it delights to obey and make happy the object of its love. Love and obedience are inseparable. It is impossible to obey from the heart without love for God, but we must never forget that disobedience is an enemy of love.
Is it possible to love God too much? What about the fanatics? Can a person love God too much? The answer is no. Scripture says we will love God with all that we are--with all our heart, with all our strength, and with all our mind.
A person who loves God with all that they are is never a fanatic in the true sense of the word. A fanatic is a person who is out of control in some area of his life. On the contrary, a person filled with the love of God has the gift of self control. Jesus wasn't a fanatic. It was the Pharisees and Sadducees who were fanatics. Jesus was continually accused of disobedience, and He was totally obedient to His Father. You see, obedience, true obedience, is always about principle. A person who never knows what the principles are can never know what it means to obey. He will get hung up in trying to obey, like a bug gets tangled up in a spider web.
As we learn to apply obedience to the various aspects of our lives -- our sexuality, our health, and in every area of life -- we will study to discover the principles that are involved. Obedience is a learning experience. A person who has made a total commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and who has received the infilling of the Holy Spirit will not have a learning disability. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” The promise is that they will be filled.
I believe that those of us living today near the end of all things will have an experience of obedience to the will of God that is unequaled by any other generation. I might even say unequaled by the generation at Pentecost. You see, it has taken a long time. Satan got this world so tangled up in lies and evil that it has taken until now for the truth in all its beauty to finally be revealed. Though darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people, believe it or not there has never been more revealed and understood truth as it is in Jesus then there is right now! Evil is spreading, false doctrine of bounds. But if we Will look, if we will let the Holy Spirit open our eyes, there it is, shining brightly in all the rubble -- the Pearl of Great Price.
You can slice it however you want to, but the issue between God and man is obedience. The questions to be answered are: What is the role of obedience in the life? What does obedience have to do with the Christian life? How much obedience is obedience? There seems to be confusion over the issue, and in some quarters downright misrepresentation of the meaning of true obedience. Contrary to popular belief, obedience is not something we do in response to being saved. Obedience is not our part in salvation; on the contrary, it comes to us like forgiveness. It is a gift of God. Those who have received Jesus as Savior are known by their attitude of obedience. Salvation in Christ gives us two things -- forgiveness and the desire to obey the will of God in every detail of our lives.
The last great message to be preached to the world just before Jesus comes is a call to obedience. “Fear God and give glory to Him” is a call to obedience, because obedience is the only way we can give glory to God--unless we think that giving glory to God is something we say like, “Glory to God! Glory to God!” When the Bible says, “Fear God and give glory to Him” and “Worship Him who made heaven and earth”, the worship being called for is obedience to His Commandments.
I hope we don't think that true worship is some kind of ceremony a person goes through at church. If it were, the devil could go through the motions of what is called worship. I don't see how true worship can be other than obedience to our Creator. The Scriptures call us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. How can I give my body as a living sacrifice? What does that mean if it doesn't mean to obey God in every detail of my life?
Please, oh please, let's stop resisting the power of God in our lives. Let's let go and let the Holy Spirit of Christ work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Let's confess to God our disobedience. Let's plead with Him. God has promised, "And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:27.
Let's from our hearts cry out as did Jacob as he wrestled with the Angel so long ago, “Oh God, we will never let You go. Give to us now and forever, O Father, the blessing of obedience!
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