A nonchalant faith leads to disobedience …

It’s true that misunderstandings sometimes result in terrible consequences. But sometimes they’re just funny, like the misunderstanding reported in Today in the Word:

Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of his constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, the group happened to meet Lord Hailsham, then lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office. Hailsham recognized Marten among the group and cried, “Neil!” Not daring to question or disobey the “command,” the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees!

This “important person” was simply calling out a greeting to someone, yet he immediately brought everyone to their knees!

Today, it’s much harder to get such obedience from Christians toward their Lord, even though He is King of kings and Lord of lords. It doesn’t help that many preachers today not only downplay, but dismiss outright the need for obedience among Christians. Jesus, though, views obedience differently:

“If you love me, obey my commandments,” John 14:15.

“Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say … Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me,'” John 14:23a, 24a.

The Apostle Paul not only supports in his writing our need for obedience, he calls us to live like Christians! According to Paul, to BE a Christian means to live like one …

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear,” Philippians 2:12.

Ours is a time where a nonchalant Christianity is broadly touted. Come as you are, be as you are, do as you like, and have no concern about obedience, it’s all grace from here on out is the message from so many church leaders today. Such an attitude certainly doesn’t square with Paul’s admonition given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

And it doesn’t square with Jesus’ insistence that those who love Him will obey Him.

Look closely at what Paul says is happening in the lives of those who have been adopted by God:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him,” Philippians 2:13.

Noted pastor and author, Warren Wiersbe, wrote the following in his book, “The Integrity Crisis”:

Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master”.

When we receive our freedom from sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ, it is not our freedom that is to be most lauded, it is our Master who made us free! We demonstrate our salvation by “…obeying God with deep reverence and fear,” all while God is working in us, giving us “… the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

Even a dog understands the simplicity of obedience, as captured in this tidbit from Our Daily Bread:

How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that’s exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn’t move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master’s word. With tearful eyes, the dog’s owner said, “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.”

If a man can know his dog will obey, how much more God should know we will obey His word to us!

Is yours a nonchalant faith, or are you working hard to show the results of your salvation – that of obeying God with deep reverence and fear?

Scotty