As a teenager I remember singing, as well as doing American Sign Language to a song entitled "All of me". The lyrics included this commitment: "All of me, not a part but all of me, All the heart and soul of me, Jesus I surrender." This is an "all-in" for Jesus song! No holding back! It is complete commitment. This is the response Christ still desires from His children today.
Jehu, the king over Israel, was only a "part of me" follower. He was willing to go so far, but not all the way. He placed a limit on his obedience to the Lord. He worked hard to remove the family of Ahab and Jezebel because it was profitable for him, but his zeal diminished when his efforts lacked personal compensation. His obedience was motivated by pride as he sought his own glory. If God's ask was of interest to him, he complied, but if not, he had no desire. It is commendable that he fought against idolatry, but he did not do so with all his heart.
Like Jehu there are those who call themselves believers, but their adherence to the Word of God has a breaking point. Where they agree, they "Amen" and "High Five", but if a teaching rubs them the wrong way it is either ignored or disobeyed.
One year I was part of a Bible study group working through David Platt's book, "Radical". In reality, this call to authentic Christian living, walking in obedience to all of God's word, is not extreme, it is what God expects of each one of us. It is the "normal" way of life for the one claiming the name of Christ. This book was not received well by all the attendees. It was perceived by some as asking too much and demanding the impossible. With God's expectations viewed as ridiculous, many dismissed the content, or dismissed the class and stopped coming. They weren't rejecting a human author, but the divine One.
God's standard is perfection and His goal for us is holiness. It becomes especially difficult when we view His Word as restricting. We can think we know what is best, but Jesus does not fit neatly into our pre-existing beliefs. We are called to adjust to His.
Think of all the controversial topics throughout the Bible. God's infallible word only becomes disputable when we don't agree. If His calling seems unreasonable, we abandon His command. Thinking our way is better, we refuse to allow the Lord to reframe our thoughts. A real test of our love and followship with the Lord is when we comply even when we don't concur.
I challenge you to think of a hard teaching in scripture. Up until now have you been responding like Jehu? Have you refused to obey the Law of the Lord with all your heart? Is your obedience dependent on your agreement with His absolute truth? He is not enforcing but He is imploring, knowing what is best. The choice is yours. It's time to eliminate the 'but' and walk in full obedience to all that God is requiring. There is joy in following Jesus all the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment