Public Sin

Does any sin merit a public confession?

The scriptures tell that we are to confess our sins to whomever we have sinned against (Matt. 18:15). We know that the scriptures speak that any sin always involves God and if it is only known by God, then we should confess only to him. For, Matt. 18:15-20 teaches us that we are to keep these issues (sin) as confined as possible.

However, once the church knows, it becomes different. When one has brought reproach upon the church, there becomes a need to publically repent and make a correction because we are to “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” (1 Cor. 10:32). But how do we know which sin becomes deemed as public knowledge? All should know that each Christian is responsible for his brother or sister and the entire church is responsible for each member. An example of the kind of sin that becomes public knowledge is as follows: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Eph. 5:3-5) This means that those that fall as a Christian is not living up to the demands of a Christian life and would need to be corrected.

The Christian life is an open book for when one sins against another, who have they told and who has the other person told? Whom have those that the two have involved told? In the case of fornication and preaching false doctrine (there are other examples, etc.) there are doctors, friends, and family that are involved and the list continues to grow. This makes these types of sin well known and public. Therefore, if sin separates one from God then it can also separate a Christian from the church unless repented of and mended. This is needed because those that are guilty of sin are guilty of sinful conduct, but if that person is brought to repentance, there will be no punishment from either the church or God concerning this matter. One sin that comes to mind on this issue is that of fornication. When one becomes impregnated by another, it can never be contained between two people. Everyone with eyes to see become witnesses of the pregnancy and to what has happened (even though they may not know all the specific details).  Therefore, if one does not come forward and ask not only God, but the church in which reproach is brought upon, rebuking publically is necessary because the sin has been committed in either a public setting or is known publically. This causes a great problem for the purity of the church.

One who has sinned must be willing to see how a public sin can affect the church. While we may be individual Christians leading individual lives, Christians share a unique joy to be interconnected with every other Christian. So when one is joyous, others are joyous and when one hurts because of sin other Christians hurt with them. Therefore, if a public sin is not repented of and that individual continues not to be sorrowful in a public manner, this brings shame upon the church and the Lord who purchased the church with his own blood. Furthermore, it sends an added message to others indicating to others that their actions are tolerable or favorable in the church and that the purity of the Bride of Christ can be tainted. But, this is not so. In Acts 5, we read of the public practice of discipline upon Ananias and Saphphira. They thought that things were done secretly, but the congregation knew and since they were deceptive with their sin, judgment was cast upon them by God. As a result, “great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. (Acts 5:11)

Discipline is not easy, but the individual Christian cannot think about only himself in these matters. Instead, he or she must be willing to think of the church as a whole. Therefore, the purity of the church must continue to remain pure. For, discipline (only according to the Holy Scriptures) helps the weaker members to be strong lest they too should follow in the same course of shame and ignore the beautiful Bride of Christ.

Another example can be read about in Acts 8:12-24. Simon, then a recent convert offered the apostles money to receive the power of granting spiritual gifts to others. But, we can see that this notion was rejected and Simon was told to repent which he did in front of those who were there. Again in 1 Corinthians 5:1ff, there was a fornicator among them whom Paul had heard about (which happens when a sin is public knowledge: it spreads). Paul told the church to deliver this person from the grasps of Satan. Furthermore, he told the church at Corinth not to keep company (associate) with those that fornicate because they are considered wicked people unless they repent. So, when sin has become public, forgiveness must be asked for publically.

Therefore, when one does come and ask for forgiveness, Christians are then able to forgive him and encourage his faith. (2 Cor. 2:5-10). This makes it imperative that the one who commits such sins comes forward making things right not only with God, but with the church which has become shamed and attacked by this event. And if the impenitent sinner continues in a course of public sin or has not asked to be forgiven by those whom he or she has sinned against, the unfortunate time will come when he or she needs to be rebuked before all. For, “them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” (1 Tim. 5:20) Therefore, since not only the sin is public, but the rebuke is also made public, the confession & correction must be in public as well to purify the sadness and shame of sin within the church.

The church in Colossae, in regards to making corrections to those in the Lord’s church was told to, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Col. 3:5). To mortify means to separate or to make dead those who do these things mentioned. Therefore, if one has sinned publically in a manner such as this or in other public ways which are not according to the words of God, they have not only sinned “against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:12) Therefore, the church is to warn or rebuke the unruly (1 Thess. 5:14) and reprove the ones who are doing evil work (Eph. 5:11). For the apostle Paul told the church at Ephesus, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Eph. 5:11, 12)

Now, how did the church or the apostle Paul ever hear about the things that were thought to be done in secret? It is because certain sins such as those mentioned above cannot be contained. For example, idolatry cannot be hidden because of the practices of idolatry. Again, covetousness cannot be hidden because it is seen in work ethics and a greedy drive from within oneself. Therefore, these things cannot be hidden and must be repented of as well as any other sins which would be done in a public manner and brings disgrace upon the church. Therefore, repentance is not just sorrow alone nor is it from the thoughts that makes one feel bad just because he or she was caught and the the sin has now presented itself to others. When sin is recognized, it cannot just be stopped and never again performed. It must be repented of sincerely “For the wages of sin is death;” (Rom. 6:23). This means that sin condemns the soul. Therefore, true repentance involves acknowledging that you have sinned (2 Sam. 12:13). It is by saying that you are sincerely sorry (2 Cor. 7:10). It means that you are willing to put off that sin and are now determined to live right (Acts. 26:20) and that you make a request to be forgiven. (Psa. 51:1-3) Repentance is all motivated because of the goodness of God (Rom. 2:4), the willingness to humble yourself before God, and the fear of everlasting punishment (Lk. 13:1-5). Therefore, by repenting you are saying that you are turning from sinful actions (Matt. 12:41), that you are putting off the old man of sin (Col. 3:5-9), that you are putting on the new godly man (Col. 3:10) and that you are ready to continue to walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7, 8) so one day you will inherit all the joys of Heaven (Lk. 15:9).

Sin is part of life, but it can be overcome. It is tragic to think of the publicity that sin brings with it, but it does not have to overwhelm anyone. However, people who publically sin and do not or will not repent publically, must sadly be rebuked to desire the results to: save that one soul eternally by converting that person who errs from the truth (Jam. 5:19, 20). But this is to not be done out of hatred toward that person. Those who are rebuking are to show love toward the one who stumbled. (Rev. 3:19). Therefore, the one that sinned can easily hear them and change from evil (Matt. 18:15-17) and to snatch that person from the everlasting fire of sadness and torment (Jude 23). Paul admonished the church to withdraw its fellowship from every brother who sins or walks in a disorderly fashion (2 Thess. 3:6). The church is to note the person who allows sin to reign in his life and who is unwilling to repent and change. (2 Thess. 3:14, 15). However, if withdrawal of fellowship (which is a last resort) is deemed necessary, it is not to be done in hatred or in an enemy way, but to admonish him as a brother or sister to restore that person at fault (Gal. 6:1). Therefore, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9) Turning from sin can become difficult, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 Jn. 1:7)

It can be a terrible situation to sin publically. But, it is an eternal mistake to force these things into privacy and refuse to remove a public stain of sin against God, Christ, and the Bride of Christ (which is composed of several members) just because one did not see the need to come forward and remove the dishonor that he or she has brought upon the church. Sins that become public knowledge must be dealt with in a public manner so the one that sinned can be restored to the church and draw strength and encouragement from the congregation. Furthermore, by making it right publically, it removes the disgrace from the person and the church. And by doing Bible things by Bible ways and restoring the purity of the Gospel of Christ within the church and the individual, all will be able to continue in the glorious fellowship with one another in brotherly love.

One who has sinned must be willing to see how a public sin can affect the church.

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Neglecting the Assembly of the Saints

As I was recently doing some research, I ran across this quote from the infamous movie star, Jimmy Stewart (of “It’s a Wonderful Life” fame). Years ago, one asked him, “What has been your greatest failure in life?” He responded, “My greatest failure in life is not getting my wife and children to go to church. This has been very painful to me. I feel this has been one of my most important responsibilities, and I feel that I have failed in this on all counts” (Saturday Evening Post, April 1, 1977). Certainly, many people feel that neglecting the assembly of the saints is of little consequence. Yet, when David lusted after Bathsheba in Second Samuel 11, one sin (not being where he ought to have been) became many sins. Usually, that is the progression of sin—it is difficult to pinpoint one sin, but usually affects other areas of life and spreads to at least factor other sins. Such is also the case with neglecting the assembly of the saints.

Neglecting the assembly of the saints associates itself with idolatry. One will worship in two ways—either one will worship God acceptably, or one will worship in an idolatrous fashion. One who wishes to worship God acceptably will have Him as his object. Yet, one who chooses to worship otherwise will begin to worship anything else other than God. One may begin to worship work, recreational activities (trips and so forth), sleep, laziness and such like. Whatever one supplants in the place of worshipping God with the assembly of the saints has become his idol. John said, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).

Neglecting the assembly of the saints associates itself with adultery. As Christians in the church of our Lord, we are the bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7; 21:2; 22:17). God said through Paul, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). Whenever one chooses to neglect the assembly of the saints, he is flirting with the world instead of spending the necessary and required time with God (cf. Jas. 4:4). Thus, one who neglects the assembly of the saints is committing spiritual adultery.

Neglecting the assembly of the saints associates itself with stealing. “Let him that stole steal no more” (Eph. 4:28). Peter says, “But let none of you suffer…as a thief” (1 Pet. 4:15). The fact is that God has made us stewards of our blessings. Paul said, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). When we choose to neglect the assembly of the saints, we are stealing God’s time, opportunity, effort and such like. Rather, we are to seek “first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). By not doing so, one is guilty of stealing from God. In addition, one steals the mutual edification he or she should be giving to his brethren (cf. Heb. 10:24-25).

Neglecting the assembly of the saints associates itself with suicide. One who neglects the assembly of the saints is like a banana—every time one leaves the bunch, someone skins it. One who neglects the assembly of the saints is like a leafy branch of a tree—if one carefully lays it aside, the color slowly fades until the leaves go limp, curl up and die. One who neglects the assembly of the saints is like a fish out of water—if one carefully lays it on the sand, it struggles, weakens, quivers and dies. Therefore, from a spiritual perspective, one who chooses not to assemble with the saints is no different than Ahithophel (2 Sam. 17:23) and Judas Iscariot (Matt. 27:5; Acts 1:18) who took their own lives needlessly.

Therefore, when one chooses to neglect the assembly of the saints, one must understand that he is also involving the sins of idolatry, spiritual adultery, stealing and spiritual suicide. Dear reader, do not risk your soul in such a manner!

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Evangelizing

Why Try to Change Other People’s Religion?

Those of us that make up the church of Christ honestly and sincerely believe that we are God’s people. We believe that we are God’s people because of our understanding of the Bible’s teaching. We believe that the method of interpretation that we accept is precisely what the Bible teaches about all things that pertain to man’s relationship to God and his eternal destiny. We therefore are convinced that we are Christians in the strictest sense of the use of the word in the New Testament – we are disciples that follow God’s instructions.

OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVANGELISTIC PROCESS

The instructions of our Lord regarding evangelizing of the world’s population states “And Jesus came to them and spoke unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (ASV) – Matthew 28:18-20.

From the instruction of Christ and the example set by His apostles after the church began (cf. Acts 2:1-47); we can see a continuous pattern by the early Christians of going everywhere attempting to change the sinner and those that possessed other religious beliefs. The early disciples of Jesus Christ attempted to convert the Jews of their day, they attempted to convert those that followed idolatry (i.e. worshippers of images), they sought to convert those that were irreligious both men and women, they attempted to convert sorcerers and those that practiced the occult; they sought to convert those that worshipped Caesar. The Christians of the 1 Century understood that their mission was to convert everyone to religion of Jesus Christ. We know that 3,000 Jews were converted from Judaism (i.e. the Law of Moses) on the birthday of the church of Christ – please observe the following reading found in Acts 2:36-42, “36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. 37 Now when they heard (this,) they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? 38 And Peter (said) unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, (even) as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. 40 And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. 41 They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added (unto them) in that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (ASV)

NOTE:  From these verses of scripture we understand that even though the Jews of the first century wanted to hold on to their old religion (i.e. the Law of Moses), the disciples of Christ insisted that they needed to break from that dead law and turn to Jesus Christ and his church in order to be saved from sin because the Lord’s church had replaced the Old Covenant (i.e. the Law of Moses) – therefore they we told to turn to Christ for salvation from sin – cf. Romans 7:1-4, “1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? 2 For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband. 3 So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, (even) to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.” (ASV)

The evangelizing process is a process of converting all people in the world to the religion of Jesus Christ; this concept is exemplified (i.e. undertaken in the world today) by Christians that make up the churches of Christ (i.e. Rom 16:16). Therefore those of us that constitute the church of Christ are to go into all the world and actively work at converting everyone that is not yet a member. The churches of Christ are simply carrying out the instruction of its head; Jesus Christ. Indeed we are obligated to God to work at converting all of the lost in our sphere of influence – to do any less is fail as we have been instructed – cf.

Mark 16:15-16, “15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” (ASV)

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The Freedom to Choose

Many times over the last sixteen years especially, I have noticed that a phrase has been touted during every political contest. This phrase has become so ingrained in the American psyche that it has become second nature and a philosophy by which we seem to live our lives.

Let me give you a few examples. You can see our use of it in the way we choose which food we will eat based upon how we feel toward it versus the other choices, and how we will go to lengths to justify eating the one we desire. It is apparent in the way we choose what style to wear by comparing ourselves to others (“Well, at least I don’t look as bad as so-n-so…”). And do not forget the “I know he/she doesn’t stand for everything that I do but at least he is better than the alternative.” The phrase has been used to excuse some very poor choices from our diets to our clothing (or lack thereof) to which candidate, regardless of the arena, our vote will be given.

Have you guessed the phrase yet? Let me ask you to do a little introspection and determine how often that you succumb to the philosophy of choosing the lesser of two evils? It was a wakeup call for me too when I began to think and really look at this philosophy. I began to see just how far it has wormed its way into my thinking and my daily dealings. But lest you think that I am just snapping at straws, let us examine this philosophy, for so it is, in light of the Scriptures and the Christian’s life.

The Lesser of Two Evils in the Light of the Scriptures

When God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1), He created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-28). Man became a living soul with a will (Genesis 2:7) and the ability to reason and to choose, a fact that was not overlooked by Satan (Genesis 3:1-6). In fact, man’s first choice of momentous impact was a good versus evil contest. And we know how that contest turned out by reading Genesis 3. But we also see the consequences of that choice by reading the entirety of the Bible and by understanding Romans 5:12 that by one man sin entered the world and death passed upon all men because of their sin. That is a pretty big consequence there. Yet in the context of Romans 5:12, specifically verse 15-16 states that even though Adam’s choice brought sin and death into the world, Christ’s choice brought grace and justification to the world.

Did Christ really have a choice? Philippians 2:5-11 shows that Christ was equal to God but that He chose to be submissive to the will of God rather than holding on to His position of equality. He could have chosen not to endure the suffering, but He chose to come and do “the will of Him that sent me (John 6:38)” and learned obedience through that suffering (Hebrews 5:5-10). Even in the temptations of Christ, as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13, we see that there was a choice offered. On the one hand, He could have submitted to the devil and been spared the suffering of the cross, certainly less painful. But that would have still left us to die in our sins, those same sins that separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). On the other hand, He chose to submit to the will of the Father and proceed to the death on the cross.

Throughout the history of the human race, there have always been choices. Yet never once is there found in the Scriptures, the concept of choosing the lesser of two evils and still being acceptable to God. Throughout the ages, it is always shown to be a choice between right and wrong. When Saul was sent to destroy the Amalekites, his choice was to obey God and kill every man, woman, child and animal of them (right), to disobey God and not kill any of them (wrong) or to spare the best and kill the rest (wrong and what he chose to do) (I Samuel 15). Saul chose what he considered to be the lesser of two evils sparing the best and claiming that they were to be a sacrifice to God, yet God did not accept his reasoning calling it disobedience, rebellion and stubbornness (vs. 11, 22-23).

Thus we see that, even though we think that to choose the lesser of two evils is acceptable, God says that way leads unto death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). He pronounces a judgment against this thinking by proclaiming in Isaiah 5:20-21: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” God never accepts the lesser of two evils as being right and acceptable.

The Lesser of Two Evils and the Christian’s Responsibility

Having established that God does not approve of the philosophy of choosing the lesser of two evils, what then should the Christian do in the cases, such as our upcoming political choices? It would be too obvious to state that we should not choose the lesser of two evils, for evil is evil whether great or small. What does Jesus say on this matter?

First, He says that no man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and this is true regardless of the circumstance. You cannot serve God and wealth, God and self, God and <insert any item here>. As Peter and the apostles put it in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than man.” This means that we must stand for God and His truth or as Jude put it in Jude 3: “contend earnestly for the faith…”

Second, He says we must stand for truth. God’s word is truth (John 17:17). The Hebrew writer states that we must “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard… (Hebrews 2:1-4)”. Why should we? Because if we fail to hold them fast, we shall receive a similar judgment as those who let them slip. We are called to be salt and light to this earth (Matthew 5:13-16). We were not called to be slightly more flavorful than the rest of the earth for if salt has lost its flavor, it is worthless (Matthew 5:13). We were not called to be slightly lighter than the world around us. We are to be light so that people may glorify God (verses 14-16). How is that any different than the Laodicean church of Revelation 3:14-22? Paul states that we are to abhor evil and cling to that which is good (Romans 12:9). He further exhorts us to abstain from the very appearance of evil (I Thessalonians 5:22). This includes our actions in the political realm.

Third, He says we need to stop trying to sin that grace may abound (Romans 6:1). If the lesser of two evils is still evil (and it is), then how can we justify our actions before the high court of God?  In the political realm, each election, here in America, we choose people to represent us. If we choose the lesser of two evils to represent us, we are choosing evil to speak for us. Brothers, this is a serious charge to be laid at our feet! If we cast our vote for the lesser of two evils, we give our blessing to these people. We are calling evil good! We are bidding Godspeed to one who does not hold the laws and morals of God (II John 9-11)! Let me ask you, How much fire can a man take into his bosom and his clothes not be burned? (Proverbs 6:27). How much evil can we condone and still be pure? Is abortion murder? Is homosexuality sin? Is marriage between one woman and one man? Is man allowed to determine his own morality or is there a standard of right and wrong that is absolute? Reread Romans 1:18-32 and understand that 1.) There is an absolute standard which is not open to negotiation; and 2.) We know the judgment of God on these issues. Are you ready to condone that candidate?

Fourth, He says we must be wise (Matthew 10:16). Ignorance is not an excuse (Acts 17:30). If we are choosing men to represent us, why should it be any different for the political arena than it is for the men that are to shepherd us? We need to research these candidates. We need to know about their pasts and how they have determined their stances on these issues. We need to look at their promises in light of their fruit for “by their fruit ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:18-20). This is not just a command pertaining unto false prophets. We also need to bring forth fruit (John 15:1-6; Romans 7:4-5).

Throughout the years, a dangerous philosophy has invaded and now permeates the Christian’s psyche. We have been taught that we have to choose the lesser of two evils; that there is no perfect candidate, therefore we need to choose the one that comes closest. At its very core, this philosophy teaches that we may choose which laws of God we will hold and which we may compromise. It sets us up as the ultimate judge of what is moral, acceptable, and righteous; in other words, self has become god.

Christians need to recognize that we are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-17). That we are the salt of the earth and are to flavor the world not let it flavor us (Matthew 5:13-16). We need to stand for the morality of God realizing that these “social” issues affect all other ones as well. We need to stop trying to be conservative, conserving what we have left, rather we need to be the preservative that God put into this world (salt is a preservative, a cleanser, a purifier just the same as light cleanses the darkness) preserving the faith, the laws of God. God granted us the right to life (Genesis 1:26-28); the ability to choose (Genesis 2:7, 16-17); the right to obey Him (Romans 6:12-18); the right to worship Him (John 4:22-24).

God has never, according to Scripture, condoned the choosing of the lesser of two evils. He has always declared that the choice is between right and wrong. Evil is evil regardless of the circumstance.

To those who vote, a vote for one who has actively promoted evil in any form is a vote for evil. Regardless of your party affiliations, a vote for one who promotes abortion, approves of those who practice homosexuality, denies and actively seeks to destroy the law of marriage that God instituted from the beginning, and is a poor steward of that which God has given into his care, is to give your blessing to their evil deeds.  And I am not just pointing at one candidate for both primary candidates stand accused of these wicked deeds. I, for one, choose to serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15) and refuse to compromise His laws any longer. If there is not a candidate on the ballot who reflects the godly values and morals, I shall write one in who will.

The Freedom to Choose was written and submitted to Church of Christ Articles by Levi Westphal.

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Analysis of Obedience

We are taught in scripture that only those who do the will of the Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21).  Obedience to the will of God is therefore a life and death matter for the Christian who would live his or her life in pleasing manner before God.  Jesus went on to teach the parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7, starting in verse 24.  He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it”.

In our previous lesson, Analysis of a Command, we learned that we are to obey direct and implied commands and approved examples.  we also learned that it is vitally important not to add anything or take anything away from what inspiration recorded for us.  If it were permitted to add or remove things from scripture then we could change anything we wanted in the word and do anything we desired and still expect to live our lives acceptably before God.  Paul taught the Romans that we cannot approach God with our own righteousness.  We must submit to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).   The commandments of men make our worship vain (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7), so we know that the only way we can be assured of living after God’s righteousness is to follow his commandments explicitly, adding nothing to, nor taking anything away from them.

In this study, we are going to examine what obedience is from a Biblical perspective, what it means, how it works for us, how to approach it and why.  Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  Since obedience is the duty of man, we need to give attention to this topic and determine what the Lord expects from us in obedience.

What Obedience is:

Hearing the word of God precedes obedience.  Until one hears the word of God, one cannot know what God wants obeyed.  In the OT, Samuel wrote: “Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me” (2 Samuel 22:45).  In the NT, Paul wrote of the commandment of God which was made known to all nations of the earth for the “obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26).  Everything we do, every commandment we obey is by and because of our faith in God.  Faith and obedience are inseparable in scripture.  Those who have faith obey and those who obey have faith.  On the other side, those who do not have faith do not obey and those who do not obey, do not have faith.   “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

In Psalm 18:44, inspiration says, “As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.  Obedience is connected with submission and humility.  In Philippians 2:8, Paul wrote “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”.  Jesus was willing to suffer the humiliation of the cross in order to be obedient to God the Father.  We are commanded to submit to the authority of God. James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God” (James 4:7).  Submission and humility means doing it God’s way, in the way He has prescribed, completely and without pride.  Those who obey, submit in humble penitence to the authority of God.  Those who do not obey have not submitted.  Obedience is submission and submission is necessary for obedience.  Disobedience is rebellion to God as King Saul learned when he refused to obey the commandment of the Lord, (1 Samuel 15:22-23).   Obedience and submission cannot be separated.

Obedience is a yielding, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:16-18).  We are going to yield to something in life.  We are going to be the servants of something, either good or evil, either righteousness or sin.  We are going to serve someone in this life, either God or Satan.   One cannot have obedience without yielding, neither can there be a yielding without obedience.  The two cannot be separated.  We must have one in order to have the other.

Obedience is motivated by love.  Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings…” (John 14:23-24).  Our love is demonstrated through our actions, “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” (2 Corinthians 8:8) and then 2 Corinthians 8:24 which reads, “Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf”.  Claiming to love God and each other but not demonstrating that love is not the kind of love God requires. God requires our love to be sincere and to prove that sincerity through actions  “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him” (1 John 3:18-19).

Obedience comes from a pure heart, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).  “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).  “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Romans 6:16).  Obedience and a pure heart cannot be separated.  One cannot have a pure heart without obedience, likewise one cannot be obedient without a pure heart and expect God to be pleased.

Obedience acts without question.  Abraham gave us two examples of obedience without question when he was commanded to get up and leave his country and then when he was told to get out of his country, leave his kinsmen and go into a land that God would show him when he got there (Genesis 12:1).  “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him” (Genesis 12:4).  After his son Isaac was born, God commanded him to offer him up as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:2).  Hebrews 11:17 records that, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son”.  Abraham did not try and back out of obeying God.  When God commanded, Abraham acted and left us an example of trusting obedience.

Obedience is a trial.  As we saw earlier, Abraham was tested by God to see if he would obey.  “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son” (Hebrews 11:17).  James wrote concerning trials, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-5).  we can expect our obedience to produce trials in our life.  One cannot successfully overcome trials without obedience.

Obedience requires sacrifice.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).   One cannot offer one’s body a living sacrifice without obedience to God’s will.  “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:3).   Obedience and sacrifice are inseparable in scripture.  One cannot have one without the other.

Obedience is Faith.  “But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26).  Hebrews 11 is sometimes called the great hall of faith.  It lists numerous Biblical characters who by faith, were obedient to the will of God, who did what God commanded and were blessed for it.  Faith and Obedience are inseparable in scripture.  One cannot have faith without obedience and one cannot have obedience without faith.  “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

The Necessity of Obedience:

Obedience is necessary if we love God,  Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Obedience is necessary of we say we know God.  John wrote, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4).

Obedience is necessary if we love one another, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2).

Obedience is necessary for purification, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22).

Obedience is necessary for Salvation, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).  “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).

The Results of Obedience:

Obedience results in the reception of God’s grace, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name” (Romans 1:5).

The obedient have the right to the tree of life, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).

Obedience results in our prayers answered, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22).

Obedience results in glory, honor and peace, “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile (Romans 2:10).

Obedience results in righteousness,  “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7).

Obedience results in the commitment of our souls to God, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19).

Obedience results in Salvation, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29).  “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).

The Results of Disobedience:

Disobedience will result in God’s wrath, “For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience” (Colossians 3:6).

Disobedience results in God’s indignation, “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil…” (Romans 2:8-9).

The disobedient will receive severe judgment, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).  Peter went on to say in verse 19 to “commit the keeping of their [our] souls to him in well doing”.  Well doing meaning “in obedience”.

Disobedience results in the chastening of God, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6).  The Psalmist wrote, “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Proverbs 3:12).

Christians are to have no company with the disobedient, “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).  This does not mean we are not to interact with the lost or the disobedient.  We must interact in order to carry the gospel to the lost.  we must interact in order to let our light shine before the world.  But we must remember that our light is to shine and we are to live our lives as examples of obedient faithfulness to the lost.

Disobedience will result in eternal destruction, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Saved by Grace through Faith:

Obedience will not earn or merit us a home in heaven, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  We must never set back on the laurels of our obedience and think that God owes us anything.  Jesus Christ had to die for us.  There is no way we can repay the incredible sacrifice that was done on our behalf.  It was a gift by the favor or grace of God.  we can never allow ourselves to be boastful or prideful because of our obedience to God’s will.

In the parable of the unprofitable servant, Jesus taught that even if we were to obey everything God commanded, we should still count ourselves as servants who are unprofitable.  “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).

God does not owe man anything simply because man obeys Him.  Salvation cannot be deserved, nor bought, nor earned by anything man does.  Man is lost and without hope unless he submits to God in obedience to His will.  Obedience to God was the duty of man since the beginning and it is God’s just right to demand it.  Disobedience resulted in the downfall of man.  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  But by God’s grace/favor, He provided a way for man to be redeemed.  All man has to do is obey that plan of redemption given by the grace of God.

Jesus Christ had to die so that we could live.  There is nothing we can do either individually or collectively to deserve that gift or merit the salvation it makes possible.  The only thing man can earn or deserve is death because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  We cannot work our way out of that penalty without the grace of God.  In the end, Jesus still had to die for us.  Jesus paid our sin debt so that we could have a hope of life.  We can’t pay the cost of that gift with our obedience.  We are saved by grace through faith.  We learned earlier that faith and obedience were inseparable in scripture.  We are therefore saved by grace through an obedient living faith which is demonstrated in our love to God and to one another and in our submissive obedience to the will of God in all things.

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