Tag Archives: Commands

More Than Mere Words – Hearing God’s Word and Doing What God’s Word Says

27 Thursday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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The phrases ‘Talk is cheap’ and ‘Actions speak louder than words’ are meant to denote the essence of conjoining action with words.  Basically, one can say something without actually doing something which in effect means that one’s words are meaningless. It is very easy to say that you will and yet your actions suggest that you won’t. For example, you might have the ambition to seek a particular career path which can be evident in your words but your actions might suggest that you are not as serious about the career path as you first mentioned.

The truth is that our words are meaningless if they do not show forth the actions that align with what we say. There are a couple of scriptures that we can examine which will point to the principle of not only hearing what God’s Word says but also putting it into practice.  The first scripture is James Chapter 1 and verse 22 which says:

(NLT) “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

It is important to understand the context of this verse and this chapter. James who is the writer of this passage wrote a letter to Jewish believers who were scattered throughout different countries. In chapter 1, James is writing to give both encouragement and instructions in verses 2-16. However, in verses 19-21 James gives instructions to fellow believers in the faith when he says the following:

(NLT) “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” 

The key verse that transitions into verse 22 is verse 21 when James urges Christians to expel the sinfulness within our lives and to accept God’s Word in our heart. This is a call to accept or to grasp the principles of God. However, the qualifier which is verse 22 states that those of us who are Christians should not only hear what God’s Word says but we must do what it says.

Basically, each person who claims to be a Christian or claims to follow Christ must not only make the statement of their faith but they must actively pursue God’s righteousness and obedience unto Him. There are many examples of those who are ‘church goers’ or those who are ‘religious’ but their lives are not a true testament to what they profess. James says that if we hear God’s Word but do not do what it says then we are deceiving ourselves.

The deception that is very common today involves both the unbeliever and those who are not seriously following Christ in both word and deed. To be a Christian is to be the difference maker or to be separated from sinful living and those who are unrepentant in their sin. It is the abstinence from living in a godless disposition or even pacifying behaviors that are against God’s decrees.

The truth is, there are many who say that they believe but yet do not do as God’s Word says. John 14:15 says,

(NASB) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” 

Much of what we see today is a contradiction of what scripture truly says compared to the lifestyle of those who claim Christianity. Those who claim to be in Christ and yet live in sinfulness are deceived into thinking that they are in the right position with God. However, as John says in chapter 14, our love for God is shown when we keep His commandments. God has not changed His standard of righteousness, but it is humanity that has adopted humanist ideas and operated in pacifism as it relates to sin.

Obedience unto God is not negotiable which is contrary to the way that many are living today. Especially in the Christian faith, it is paramount that the teaching of obedience and the rejection of sin is emphasized more than not. Our submission unto a Holy God is a major part of the test of our love for God. It isn’t enough to go to church Sunday after Sunday or attend Bible Study weekly only to operate in sinfulness after God’s Word has been spoken to you.

One of the tests that every believer must pass to show their love for God is through their obedience which is a result of their actions. However, if we know what God has given us to do both through His Word and the words spoken to us through the Holy Spirit and we don’t follow instructions then there is a price to pay. James 4:17 says the following:

(NLT) “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” 

This verse of scripture is short, but it is powerful because it brings accountability to you and I. James says that if you know what you should do and do not do it, then it is sin. Of course this short scripture is meant to be for believers, however, the key is that God’s Word invokes accountability and a standard that we who are in Christ ought to follow. It is considered sin if you know what God requires and yet you don’t do it.

The reverse to this is also that if you don’t know what God requires then you as a believer have a responsibility to understand God’s Word and know what His commands are for yourself. If we are going to show the world what the love of God looks like we must first love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul. God demands that we not only hear His truth  but that we actively personify what His truth says through how we live.

The world sees many in Christianity as hypocritical because many are guilty of professing a lifestyle that is Holy and aligned with Jesus Christ. Yet the same individuals that profess to have a relationship with Christ are the individuals that portray the same image as those in the world. In the life of every believer, there must be a clear distinction between what the world does and what we who are in Christ do. Much of the problem is that many who claim Christianity have lost their fear of God.

God has not changed His standards for Holiness or righteousness. The reverence that God requires is what we must adhere to because God is Holy in every part of His being. Therefore, we should be Holy as God is Holy which means to live in obedience as God gives us instruction through His Holy Word. Are you simply hearing God’s Word and not putting it into practice in your own life? The best testimony you can have is to symbolize the love of God through not only His love and grace unto others but a life that is submitted unto the commands that God gives.

For those of you who are not in Christ, if you don’t know the God of Holiness and righteousness then you have an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that He died on the cross and be redeemed from yoru sin. By doing so you are then able to be free from the chains of sin and you will know who this Holy and righteous God is.

Obedience – Ensuring Your Protection

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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When you think of the law, what comes to your mind?  Is it a picture of a judge who presides over a court ruling?  Do you think of a police officer who holds the responsibility of protecting citizens from harm? If you thought of these two figures of authority, then you have the correct view in terms of what represents law and order. However, within a system of law that is working properly, there must be an element of obedience.  What does obedience encompass concerning law?

For laws to establish order and for such laws to be effective, they must be followed. Laws are put into place in order to create a system of orderly conduct, and to avoid chaos.  A nation without laws is a nation that operates in lawlessness which leads to an existence of negative consequences.  In a society that is governed by law, most do not actively disobey to the point of being arrested because they understand that laws are put into place to protect their well being.

While laws that were instituted by humans were designed for our protection, God has also established a standard and His own set of laws that are to protect us.  An example of what disobedience looks like can be found in 1 Samuel 15.  Samuel was called at an early age to be a Prophet to the nations. In this chapter, Samuel tells King Saul (Saul was anointed to be King over Israel) to completely destroy a group of people called the “Amalekites”. The Amalekites were a nation of sinful and wicked people, who God had given King Saul the order of destroying for their assault against Israel.

In verse 3 it says:

(NIV) “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

So King Saul begins by destroying the Amalekites in verse 7 while also taking Agag (King of the Amalekites) alive.  However, notice what it says in verse 9:

(NIV) “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.”

It was God’s original order to Saul in verse 3, that Saul kill everyone and everything leaving virtually nothing behind. But as we see in verse 9, King Saul, and his men take what is good which are the sheep, cattle, fat calves and lambs.  Essentially, by taking what was left, Saul was acting in disobedience to what God had said.  In verses 16 – 22, Samuel begins an exchange with Saul when he tells him of God’s displeasure.  Basically, in these verses Saul attempts to justify his disobedience. In verse 21, Saul uses the justification that his men took the animals left behind so that they could  use them as burnt offerings unto the Lord.

However, even with that justification, Saul acted in disobedience. So, Samuel gives Saul the final word of judgment in verses 22-23.

(NIV) “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

In the end, King Saul was removed as King over Israel for his disobedience. Saul believed that what he was doing was right in his own eyes, but he chose to defy what God had given him to do.  As a result, his kingship was over. Often times we in our own lives, live in disobedience unto God.  Whenever we are blatantly sinful and reject the warnings and words of God, there are consequences.

Just as Saul experienced his dethronement, we too are open to God’s judgment if we disobey.  By nature, humanity is prideful because of being born into sin. So, naturally we are inclined to reject the authority of God in our sinfulness. However, when we do so, we are open to God’s judgment and to negative consequences.

We are living in a global society that promotes secular humanism and living as you see fit. However, Proverbs 3:7 says not to  be wise in your own eyes but to shun evil. The reason is because when we live under our own guidance apart from God’s, we will always suffer the consequences.  We are seeing a society all around us that is degenerating because of the sin that is being promoted.

Sinfulness is active disobedience unto God, and it is the very sin that God will not stand for. God is a Holy God and it is His will that we follow after His ways and not our own. Those who are secular humanists try to institute the very idea that obedience unto God isn’t necessary nor is it best for humanity. That is because secular humanists shun accountability which means that one can do what they feel is the right thing to do without consequence.

However, God shows us daily and throughout scripture that any person or nation that openly or privately defies God will pay a heavy price. Obedience to God is paramount to the success and stability of our lives because He puts His standards into place for our protection.  Why is it that premarital sex or fornication as scripture says, is something to flee from according to 1 Corinthian 6:18? Engaging in fornication causes various illnesses, in addition to tying the souls of two individuals because of how sex is a covenant.  It causes not only physical damage but also emotional damage which is why Paul says to flee from sexual immorality.

Why is it that God instituted the commandments of “thou shalt not kill” and “thou shalt not steal”? Simply because, engaging in either of these acts is sure to create negative consequences.  The other reason is because the root of stealing and even killing is based out of sinfulness which is against what God desires for each of our lives.  The point is that God desires that we live in obedience unto Him, because He knows the negative consequences that can occur if we do not follow what He has said. The other reason is because obedience shows our love for God.

John 15:10 says, (NLT) “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” Basically, when you follow God in obedience you are proving your allegiance and love for Him.  This is how you know that your devotion to God is authentic – when you walk in obedience.  The first step to obedience is to surrender your life to Christ.  By accepting Christ’s sacrifice in the pardon of your sins, you are a step closer to protection from negative consequences. Obedience is indeed better than sacrificing your well being.  Choose Christ, and ensure your protection through obedience to God.