Biblically Speaking

Deut. 5:6-10 -- "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. ⁷Thou shalt have none other gods before me. ⁸Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: ⁹Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, ¹⁰And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments."

What if I was in a room with a group of people and someone (we'll call him Bob) declared himself king of all that were in the room. What if Bob ordered me to go get a drink of water (for myself), and I thought about it and decided that I would like a drink. I might get up and get a drink of water. What if later Bob ordered me to open the window and let in a fresh breeze, but I decide that the climate in the room was just right the way it is and I didn't do it. Would I be assenting to Bob's claims of kingship over me. I could say that because I obeyed him and went to get a drink I had assented to His kingship, but the fact that I blatantly disobeyed his order in another area betrays me. I didn't really obey Bob but rather did what was pleasing to my own eyes. I was not submitted to Bob, but I was a law unto myself. When it just so happened that what was pleasing in my eyes matched Bob's command, then I called it obedience.

How often is our approach to God exactly the same as my approach to Bob in the above parable? We say that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, but when it comes to obeying the scripture, how often do we obey only those commands which are pleasing to us? How often do we call this supposed obedience submission and love? How often do we tithe but not give ourselves for our wives? What about when we don't forsake the gathering of ourselves together but also don't pray without ceasing? How often do we pray but are unsubmissive to our husbands? How often do I pray for those who despitefully use me? How often do I love my neighbor enough to share the gospel with them? How often do I even attempt to buffet my body?

I told the parable above to a children's Bible study class and asked them what the relationship is between a king and his people. They answered that the people obey and the king protects. I asked them what if the people only obey they way I obeyed Bob in the parable. One boy immediately blurted out that if the people obey the king 1/2 the time the king would protect them 1/2 the time, but he caught himself before he got it all out. He then recognized that in that situation there really was no submission/protection relationship. The king wasn't really king, and the subjects weren't really subject.

Perfect Obedience or Humble Obedience

By Joe Graber

After re-reading my last essay, I became a bit concerned that some might take me to be a Finney perfectionist. Let me assure you that I am under no delusion that we as mere human beings can actually achieve perfect submission or perfect obedience to our Lord. Neither is it true that law abiding citizens are capable of perfect submission and obedience to a king, but they strive toward that.

It can become irritating when a pastor calls for obedience or submission only to immediately point out that this isn't really ultimately possible. The people too often leave with a mixed emotion something like: I should strive to obey God in every area, but there is this "grace" escape clause because of our inability. Why not just skip the striving part in the tough areas and go right to the "grace" escape?

Too often we think that perhaps God's demand is something less than perfection, but, no, God demands nothing but perfect obedience. Otherwise, there need not have been a second Adam.

The point of proclaiming God's standard of perfect submission is to point out that not only do none of us make it, but that many of us never even strive to submit to God in all areas. Paul shows us in Romans (especially chapter 7) how we should struggle against our sinfulness. Paul mourns his sin. Paul buffets his body into submission and still cries out "who shall deliver me from this body of death?" How often do I skip all that and simple wink, nod and say Jesus saves?

The point isn't perfection. The point is humility. In our struggles we become totally humiliated. Our will and our pride are crushed. We are defeated and broken in ourselves. It is only then that we can truly turn our heads and our hearts heavenward and cry out in desperation "Who will deliver me from this body of death?" It is only then that we no longer rely on ourselves, our own works or our own righteousness. It is then that we see the filthy rags. It is then that we realize that we bring nothing to God. It is then that we truly understand the freeness of free grace. It is then that we understand the awesomeness of the gift.

Let us all pray,"I must decrease and He must increase."