Grace is good; grace is great, but, as many pastors and church folk, and non-church folk, have noted, as St. Paul noted, MISUNDERSTANDINGS about grace lived out abound. Tomorrow I get to teach the seniors about OBEDIENCE, and I’m pretty excited about what I’ve learned and been reminded of. Here is part one — Monday we’ll continue to consider what obedience is all about:
2 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very naturea God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very natureb of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6-11
Some E.T. thoughts on these verses and where obedience begins. The perfect Sunday school answer: Obedience begins with…
JESUS!!! Jesus didn’t just “model” obedience. He lived it and died it. And because he was raised from the dead, we too are raised to be NEW CREATION. That’s why we live differently in this world.
Obedience relates to worship. It is the question of “Whom do we worship?” Before whom do we bow? If we bow before ourselves, we will do what feels good, what is easiest, follow the path of least resistance. If we bow before Christ as our King, we will ask him what we are called to do in each situation, and we will obey him, even when it does not agree with what we want to do.
But don’t take my word for it, listen to what Tim Keller says:
“Today’s preacher must argue against the self-serving pragmatism of postmodernity. The gospel does say that through it you find your life, but that first you must lose your life. I must say to people, “Christ will ‘work’ for you only if you are true to him whether he works for you or not. You must not come to him because he is fulfilling (though he is) but because he is true. If you seek to meet him in order to get your needs met, you will not meet him or get your needs met. To become a Christian is not to get help for your agenda but to take on a whole new agenda — the will of God. You must obey him because you owe him your life, because he is your Creator and Redeemer.” – Tim Keller, from a contributing chapter of The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching
Trackbacks/Pingbacks