Obeying the Gospel

Whether we watch the news on TV or scroll through articles online, this is a common way we receive information about what is happening in the world around us.  Very seldom (if ever) are news articles a call to personal action.  Newsreaders and reporters simply convey a handful of stories of national and international significance and local topics that include politics, traffic, sports and weather.  It makes sense we would seek out a reliable, trustworthy source of news so we can be accurately informed.  The Gospel, the Good News, is much more than a story to believe, for it is a revelation of God and from God Christians are called to obey.

On the topic of these glad tidings Paul wrote in Romans 10:16-17, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  The primary imperative of the Gospel is we must receive and believe it, and genuine faith is always evidenced by intentional actions.  Having heard the preaching of God's word, we first obey the Gospel by believing it is true:  God is righteous, I am a sinner, Jesus came to earth to provide atonement for sin and eternal life, and by believing Jesus is the Christ I will be born again, forgiven and adopted into the family of God.  The Gospel we believe is not only the starting point of our faith, but is to guide our thoughts, actions and words going forward.  Having freely been forgiven I am to forgive others; having received the love of God, I also ought to love God and others.

The Gospel not only transforms our spiritual standing before God for eternity, but it also ought to impact our day-to-day lives.  If we believe a story we heard on the news is of interest to us and others, we likely will share it with them.  A story with a headline that has no interest to me will have no impact on my life because I will not bother even to read the article.  I cannot share what I do not know or convey knowledge I do not possess.  There are articles which do interest me but do not interest others in my family, so there is no reason to share them.  The Gospel is of interest for me and everyone else because a relationship with the living God is freely on offer, an open door of salvation, eternal life and fellowship with God swung open wide for all who receive Jesus to walk through.

If I believe asbestos causes lung disease, I will wear the protective equipment and take necessary precautions to prevent fibers becoming airborne.  In like fashion, if I believe I am a sinner headed to hell and there is a way of eternal life available to me by trusting Jesus, faith guides me to humble myself in repentance and reliance upon the risen Saviour today and every day.  In addition to believing the Gospel saves, we also obey the Gospel by humbling ourselves before other people, serving selflessly as Jesus did when He washed the disciples feet.  In coming to earth and putting on human flesh Jesus humbled Himself as an example we are to follow in our households, while driving, whether at work or at play.  Obeying the Gospel is more than listening to it or believing it:  it is walking by faith in God and obedience to God and His word every day in our pilgrimage to glory.  Our countenance can shine because we know we are loved, and we do not despair in trials because we are blessed and greatly helped.

Submission to Every Ordinance

One of the consequences of being an Australian citizen is voting is compulsory.  Those who choose not to vote in local or federal elections or a referendum are required to pay a fine which is currently capped at $55.  For followers of Jesus Christ, it should not be the threat of a fine that leads us to do our civic duty to vote, but submission to the government established by God as unto Him.

1 Peter 2:13-16 exhorts believers in the context of doing good works in the public sphere, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--¹⁶ as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God."  While there are exceptions to this command of Peter, let us not miss the overarching requirements of the child of God to submit to every ordinance of man for the LORD's sake.  Those who appeal to a "higher authority" to justify disregarding the law everyone ought to follow is blatant rebellion before God.  We have the highest authority, God Himself, commanding us to submit by faith in Him to every ordinance, to kings as supreme and governors who ultimately have been established by God.  It is hypocrisy to use God or our faith in Jesus as an excuse not to comply with court orders, paying due wages and tax, and obtaining licenses--like everyone else is required to do.

Our freedom in Christ is not to be exercised by willful defiance against government but obedience to the government as unto the LORD--regardless if we agree with the ordinances, for our convenience, or to show our displeasure.  Even if churches and believers are unfairly targeted by authorities, by faith in Jesus who rules and reigns over all we are to honour and obey Him by submitting to earthly ordinances.  Should it ever come to a point where a government tries to force believers to deny or disobey our LORD Who has taught us to "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," we need not be defiant with anger and resentment.  Like the Hebrew trio who cheerfully conversed with King Nebuchadnezzar who threatened their lives with death, we can show due respect by politely declining and continuing in faithful allegiance to God.  God honoured these men by their deliverance and salvation, and their good works made a strong impression on Nebuchadnezzar.  In the New Testament, after believers were commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, they continued to obey God with joy and gladness--not with anger, frustration and resentment.

Let us take a stand in obedience to God, and know it is God's will we would be as determined to obey our government and local councils as if we were obeying the commands of Jesus Christ Himself.  Rather than defiance and passionate public railing against the Sanhedrin, believers in the early church poured out their hearts behind closed doors in private to the LORD in prayer Who heard and answered them.  The lure of martyrdom for a social, political or a religious cause can be strong, yet to live daily in submission to Christ by obedience to earthly authorities that may despise Him is a true test of our faith in God Who refines us by His grace for His glory.

The Pacifier Lesson

When one of my sons was young, he developed quite a dependance upon a pacifier (dummy) that continued after he was weaned.  At one time there was a pacifier in each corner of the cot, at the changing table, in the pram, and pretty much every room in the house, and he used them constantly.  My wife came up with a solution that worked brilliantly:  she cut the tips off of every one she found with scissors.  If my son scrounged up one she didn't know about, she altered it as well.  I remember him putting an altered pacifier in his mouth, and he immediately pulled it out and threw it to the floor in disgust.  The unfamiliar feeling was clearly unpleasant, the smooth surface replaced with rough edges and the nipple easily collapsed without an air pocket.  In literally a day the reliance upon the "binky" had been broken--first with my wife's wisdom and then with my son's agreement.  Because it was my son's choice, all was accomplished without a power struggle.

Reminiscing about this situation led me to consider how God at times does a similar thing with His beloved children like my wife did with our son.  When we are born again by faith in Jesus, we often retain habits, tendencies and even addictions that can be harmful and destructive.  We likely will continue to pick some additional ones up during our pilgrimage through this life.  These may be sins in themselves but could also be ways of thinking about others, how we cope with stress, tendencies to vanity, flirt, rude humour, embrace excess, shows we watch or games we play.  God does what my wife could not do with my son:  she physically changed the pacifier to lead him to reject it, yet God is able to change us spiritually from within.  The LORD transforms our outlook upon the thing we love and enjoy so we realise how sinful and destructive it is, and with the freedom provided us in Christ are enabled to deny ourselves and do what pleases God instead.  Jesus breaks our chains, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can choose to walk in victory over what previously held us captive.

The process of us learning how to keep our vessels in purity, setting our minds on things above and turning our eyes to Jesus to consider Him is a lifelong journey.  Ridding a child of a pacifier is a way easier task than learning not to look with lust, avoiding covetousness and learning contentment in every situation of life.  The power of God to redeem and sanctify us makes it possible for the person most set in their ways to be changed to live God's way, for we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us.  In some regards the example of my son rejecting all his pacifiers in a day and never using them again puts me to shame, for I have at times been like the fool who returns to his folly as a dog returns to its vomit or a pig to wallowing in the mud--and didn't even realise it.  The LORD is faithful to seek out His sheep that wander or fall, and all heaven rejoices when one of us sinners repents.  If there is a power struggle, it is evidence we have yet to surrender our will to the LORD.

Praise the LORD He transforms us to agree with Him, to repent and return to Him as at the first!  It is good to realise our distaste and rejection of what we previously enjoyed and looked forward to is a gift from God, and it is by His power alone we can continue to walk in newness of life.  Our old life, habits and ways losing appeal is evidence we have been and are being changed to be more like Jesus.  There are very few adults who still use a pacifier in public, yet other immature habits and tendencies are retained by all of us we are wise to be rid of so we can walk righteously.  Our new life is not defined by what we no longer do, but by who Jesus Christ is and all He has created us to be.  How good it is to willingly yield to the wisdom of God to do His will, for the future of those people is peace.

Speaking Evil and Judging

I have noticed in observing kids especially, when an objective standard is established by a recognised authority they are keen to see others comply.  It seems a great injustice that they would be obedient to the rule and others would ignore it.  Little pleasure is taken in the fact they are doing what they are told when others break the rule without consequences.  It is nigh impossible for some outwardly compliant children to remain silent about rulebreakers without complaining about them or dobbing them in.  It may be I know something about this from personal experience.  One child disobeys to express his own will, and telling on him is a way for the more compliant and legalistic to try to control him.  No motive is pure in this instance.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we grew out of our tendency to disobey, lie, gossip and meddle as we grew older?  Our old ways do not supernaturally vaporise after we come to Jesus Christ in faith.  For this reason James exhorted Jewish believers in James 4:11-12:  "Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?"  Obeying the Law of Moses was a massive part of Jewish culture in ancient times until now, and it was not uncommon for differences of opinion and interpretation to lead to conflict: business deals went sour, family dramas persisted, and people had different religious practices and convictions.  James told believers not to speak evil of one another in judgment.  They were not to vent their feelings or opinions of others by slanderous gossip, to pit people against one another, or to humiliate by divulging private matters.

Speaking evil of others is contrary to what James previously stated, that we ought to humble ourselves before God and man.  James explained that the arrogant judgment of others was actually to speak against the Law--and this is contrary to a heart that is humble and subject to the Law.  The role of judges is to rightly interpret and apply the Law to the lives of people, and those who judge and speak evil of one another disobey the Law.  The only One who is above the Law is the Lawgiver and Author of it, Jesus Christ.  The Law is good when used lawfully, and Jesus is the righteous Judge of all.  Only a fool would speak ill of His Law and by extension the Author Himself, the One able to save and destroy.  Us judging someone or the Law judging someone are two different things.

If you have ever played baseball, you know the umpire has the authority to officiate the game.  He does not make the rules but enforces them, and the umpire's word is final.  The umpire alone calls balls and strikes, and any player with a brain in his head knows it is in his best interest not to argue with the umpire--even when he is convinced the umpire made a bad call.  It is not in the player's favour to openly assert or even imply the umpire is blind, does not know the strike zone or is stupid.  If the player is not immediately ejected for his comments, he can be sure any future marginal calls will not go his way.  So the smart, self-controlled player shuts up, lets the umpire make the call, and does his best to get a hit within the rules of the game.  If we know not to speak poorly of an umpire, how much more careful should we be not to speak evil of one another and by extension the Law?  We aren't a judge or the Lawgiver, and thus we are called to be obedient to Christ as His faithful subjects.

James asked, "Who are you to judge another?"  We are not called to voice negative opinions of others as if we are a judge in a court of law "just stating the facts" of a case.  As those subject to Christ, we should focus our efforts on what He requires of us rather than stating how others have failed to measure up.  Even if we are in a position of authority in the church or a judge, it is not fitting we would speak against the Law or by extension the Lawgiver.  There are ways to deal with sin and offence in the Bible we ought to follow, and speaking evil of others through gossip or slander are not ways God has prescribed.  If we speak evil of the brethren we are like the self-righteous hypocrite who tattles on others, a sinner before the God Who will bring every word and motive of the heart into judgment.  Those who speak evil of others do so at their own peril, for there is one Judge--and we are not Him.