The cost of obedience

 

Today’s devotional is about praise to God for those who instruct others in the Word of God and who set a good example. I’m thankful for my mentors. My mother and grandmother were believers, yet this task fell to an older woman in the local church who gave me study assignments and helped me understand the basics. After we moved from there, God sent many more mentors. Looking back, I realize my biggest problem was not gleaning crucial information but putting it into practice.

Paul knew this could happen. He wrote two reminders to Timothy:

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14–15)

This young man had a sincere faith yet was timid and perhaps uncertain at times. Paul encouraged him to not only believe but do what he learned. Some of his instructions:

Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (2 Timothy 1:8–9)

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. (2 Timothy 1:13–14)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1–3)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:15–16)

Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil. (2 Timothy 2:22–24)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it. (2 Timothy 3:12–14)

Perhaps my problem with application is not a lack of personal mentors but that old bugaboo of thinking that because I knew the truths, knowing them was sufficient. That was sometimes intimidating to those who otherwise could have challenged my lack of obedience.

Yet God is faithful. In these past few years, we are in a local church that has many godly people setting fantastic examples of doing God’s will. I praise God for those who instruct and encourage righteousness, who teach others about Christ and how to live for Him. I’m also thankful that God can use anyone to be a mentor. One of my favorites was a young woman with several children who expressed the love of God in remarkable ways. Another is a young pastor who freely shares his struggle to obey what he knows and how God guides him in creative obedience.

PRAY: Jesus, today’s reading takes me to Hannah who was barren and prayed for a son, vowing to give him to You — and she did have a son and did give him to the current priest to be trained to serve. She then praised You for Your great power and wisdom, setting an example of what it means to let go of what is precious that others might grow in the grace and knowledge of You. (1 Samuel 1:1–2:10)

PONDER: Think about what obedience challenges me to give up. Broadly, it could be time, money, reputation, all sorts of things that would bring glory to Jesus and certainly not to me. Hannah gave up the child that she dearly longed for after God gave him to her. How does her example apply to my life?

 

 

Closing the Gap

Many Christians call it the distance between head knowledge and heart knowledge. Tozer calls it the gulf between theory and practice. Non-Christians call it hypocrisy. We know the truth and because we are not doing what we know, that truth has not set us free.

As I write this, I am deeply convicted of the hypocrisy in my criticism of anyone who does not practice common sense. I should never say a person is stupid when they obviously know better — because I do the same thing. Failing to practice what I know is no different from anyone else who does it.

The New Testament writers knew all about this problem. The Bible is filled with admonition to be rooted and grounded in the love of God so we can do what He teaches us to do. It tells me that I can rely on Him to fill me with His spirit so that I can do His will. However I too easily go my own way and regret it later.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14–21)

This is why I need a Savior. The Bible says it is God that grants me power through His Spirit so that I can be rooted and grounded in love and have the strength to know the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. I can't do this myself. And here lies the rub — my old self life always tries to do the will of God and fails and my pride perpetuates this foolishness mistake.

God has only one solution for that. It is a most humbling solution. I'm humbled by the activity of applying it, but also by the many times I have to repeat it.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Confession always shifts the power base from my old life to Christ. It reminds me that head knowledge is not enough; I have to obey Him and I can't do it in my own strength. It reminds me how much I need him. It changes my motivation from pleasing me to pleasing God. It shifts my interests to things on earth to things in heaven. I see the Gulf between what I know and how I live. It makes me realize how much I need the power of God to do the will of God.

^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, You are my Savior. Put my theology to work. Give it shoe leather. In your loving patience, keep at me. I feel so far from being what I should be and must put my hope in your promises to change me, to bring forth that newness of life that you have given me, to make it real not only in my head but in my heart in everything that I say and do.