Just as the Lord commanded

Obedience is hard. We tend to do “kind-of obedience” — the kind of obedience that moves towards fulfilling the spirit of the law, but not the letter. Full obedience? That’s rare. Obedience that is complete, exact, to-the-letter, joyful, and non-resistant is unusual. We cut corners — “that’s close enough.” So driving 73 (or 75 or […]

Do you love God? How do you know?

Augustine observed, “There can only be two basic loves, the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self; or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God.” From that it might then be asked, “whom do you love supremely? God or yourself?” Now we all know what the answer should be — […]

Obedience and joy

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…” (1 Pet. 1:1-2; NASB) Though far from my first act of disobedience, it is my earliest recollection of my […]

Pay attention

On a ball field or in the stands, there is a universal warning of imminent danger: “heads up!” Ignore the warning, and you are in danger of being struck by an incoming projectile. In the classroom, the warning generally is given with the words, “Pay attention!” It serves as a subtle indicator that information is […]

When obedience is not obedience

Not all obedience is obedience. If you have children, that statement is often easy to validate. Children will begrudgingly say, “sorry” when they’ve sinned, with little evident demonstrations of remorse or repentance. Children will fulfill a task (e.g., cleaning, chores, homework), all the while grumbling about it, so the job is done, but with all […]

What disobedience ultimately is

What is disobedience? Ask any child or teen and you will likely get a response something like, “not doing what I was told to do.” That answer is not significantly different from what most adults might say — “disobedience is a failure to do something commanded by a superior or authority figure in one’s life.” […]

Today’s Quote – Gratitude (Piper)

John Piper, Future Grace: There are ways that gratitude helps bring about obedience to Christ. One way is that the spirit of gratitude is simply incompatible with some sinful attitudes. I think this is why Paul wrote, “There must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving […]

Today’s Quote – Character (Chambers)

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: The test of a man’s religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on.

Today’s Quote – Obedience (C. Bridges)

Charles Bridges, Psalm 119: Then let me begin my morning with the inquiry, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”…Let me trade with all my talents for thee: ever watchful, that I may be employed in thy work; setting a guard upon my thoughts, my lips, my tempers, my pursuits, that nothing may hinder, […]

The Cost of Obedience

Oswald Chambers makes a surprising and perceptive (and true) statement about the cost of obedience in this morning’s devotional. If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost […]

Obedience and joy — another leftover

If God demands obedience, then does Christianity just become a 70-year will-power act of endurance? Absolutely not. The point of obedience is to produce joy in the life of a believer as he learns to find the greatest satisfaction in God rather than in the temporal and vain pleasures of this present age (Titus 2:12). […]

Sunday Leftovers (12/10/06)

On Sunday I said that following Christ is hard because Christ is a King who “inconveniences” His children with various demands. And one of the things He demands is obedience. Now you might ask, “Just how is obedience an inconvenience?” Obedience is an “inconvenience” because it requires submission and transformation. Many will take Christ as […]