Tag Archives: obedience

What do you want for Christmas?

December 20, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Christmas past

What do you want for Christmas this year? What’s your ask? When I was a child, my anticipation of Christmas was so high. I remember the special journey to see the animated Christmas displays in the store windows in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The shops on “Petticoat Lane” and the special baked goods at “The Cake Box”. There was no sitting on Santa’s lap and sharing our list of wants, but endless nights of looking at the special Christmas catalogue from Sears, J.C. Penney’s, and “Monkey Wards” (Montgomery Wards). What a wonderful and magical time!

But I’m no longer a child. To the contrary, I’m a grandmother and family elder. Now as I anticipate Christmas, I ask myself, what do I want? What are my choices? Things eternal or things of this world? Now I must look beyond Christmas Day with its torn wrapping paper and empty boxes. I want something that lasts beyond Christmas Day. Don’t you? As we close out this year, I invite you to join me in answering this question for yourself.

What’s on your list?

Harry & David suggests we warm hearts with festive gourmet gifts and Christmas gift baskets. That’s no surprise! “Do it Yourselfers” ensure us that handmade gifts will be received with joy: polaroid photo magnets (try finding a polaroid camera), beautifully packaged cookie mixes or pretty finger knit blankets. Who has the time?

Topping the list of the 23 “hottest cool gadgets” for Christmas is a Black Bird drone with camera for $99. “For the first time, ordinary people can capture crazy selfies and shots that were previously only possible with professional equipment.” I’m sure our neighbors and friends will love sharing in on this gift.

But what do people really want?

Here are some things to consider as you plan your gift shopping.

In an article entitled The Top 10 Things People Want in Life but Can’t Seem to Get, I was amazed in reading the responses to this informal survey that probed “critical life and career questions.” From my reading, I compiled (in their order of importance) the top five (5) areas people are feeling desperate about: happiness, money, freedom, peace, and joy. I’ve included a sixth, balance, since it is the focus of many Millennials and Genxers. What was surprising was that most of the items were intangible, subjective (what I can feel), and internal versus external.

In the aftermath of COVID (before the variants), people wanted “relationship”. A few verbatims are captured below recognizing the extraordinary power and satisfaction that can only be found through our connection with one another.

“Have a big family get together!”
“Go to a game and watch some sports!”
“See my mom in assisted living.”
“Make sure all my friends are cured too, then we’ll party!”

A new Barna Group report was released this month on trends in the Black church[1]. When asked what churchgoers wanted for their lives, the results were as follows:

84% wanted good health
83% wanted a close relationship with God
77% wanted to provide for their family
75% wanted a clear purpose for living

Note the focus of the three groups. They were primarily, intangibles, subjective, and internal.

What I want for Christmas 2022

Challenges will continue in 2023. Financial upheaval, political squabbles, shortages, rising social needs, hunger, and homelessness (regardless of the new names). What do we need? What do we want?

After conducting my personal survey among friends and family, I’ve created a revised “short Christmas list”. Many of the items on this list have been sermonized during this season of Advent. They are hope, peace, joy, and love.

- Hope—”expecting a better future for the world, our nation, and our families”
- Peace— “less hatred, division, and political strife”
- Joy— “more contentment and gratitude regardless of our situation”
- Love—”better relationships and greater compassion for others”

Reflecting on the various lists of “things” people desire, it is clear, God has already provided these and much more. Happiness, freedom, and balance. God will provide it. Relationship. God will be whomever we need in our life. Hope, peace, joy, and love. In Him and in His presence, we will find more than we need (Eph. 3:20-21). It is up to each of us to access our heavenly gifts through faith and obedience to God. In Christ, all these things are currently ours.

Below are my “gift lists” available to us through relationship with our Heavenly Father, Who only gives “good and perfect gifts” (James 1:17). God’s gifts last beyond the torn tissue and open boxes. They last beyond Christmas day through all of eternity. With God and in Christ, every day is Christmas.

Ephesians 1:3-17
2 Peter 1:3-18

[1] This report was created in partnership with Black Millennial Café, Urban Ministries, Inc., Compassion International to celebrate the legacy of the Black Church in America and to pursue racial justice inside and outside the Church. With that intent, there is no comparative study for White churches.

Spiritual Endurance

Throwback Wednesday: Recapturing Our Thoughts

October 26, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

A Great Read

I recently finished a book which has proven very insightful for me as I strive to be “more conformed” to the image of my Lord and Savior. The book is entitled, “Watchfulness: Rediscovering a Lost Spiritual Discipline, by Brian G. Hedges.

Hedges proposes that Christians could benefit spiritually by exercising greater “vigilance or watchfulness” over their hearts, minds, and souls. Why? To protect ourselves from Satan’s snares, the world’s bendings, and our flesh’s weakness. We need to be more intentional.

Throwback connection

With this book I mind, I thought it would be a great refresher to revisit for this Throwback Wednesday, “Recapturing Our Thoughts.”

Our thoughts are vulnerable to attack by the world and by Satan. Our flesh is continually weakened by marketing and media; by every sound byte we listen to.

Begin your “watchfulness journey” by recapturing your thoughts.

Spiritual Endurance

The Theology of Suffering: Purpose and Possibilities, Part 2

October 11, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Just the Facts

We understand that suffering is a part of life. As we know, suffering is not part of God’s original divine plan but is a result of sin. Because of that, Christians acknowledge that we live in a sinful, “fallen world.” As believers, our response to suffering—pain, distress, and hardship—is shaped by two key factors. First, our trust in God (Ps. 62:5-8) and secondarily, our Christian worldview (Eccl. 9:11).

An “enlightened” response

The Bible also informs our response to suffering. Although it offers no “magic pill” to overcome pain and distress, it does reveal how God operates on our behalf during difficult times (2 Cor. 1:3-5). Jesus demonstrated how man can operate knowing he will suffer. For Jesus, suffering was needful and “purposeful” (Heb. 2:10). It resulted in the salvation of mankind and the elimination of the power of sin (Heb. 2:14-15). In His suffering and death, Jesus modelled for us His trust in and obedience to God.

How we choose to respond to our suffering will determine its purpose and possibility in our life. As I said earlier, our response to suffering can either make us “better or bitter”, it all depends on our trust in God and our worldview. These create an enlightened, faith-based response.

Better or bitter?

In 2010, a well-known Bible teacher and speaker, Joni Eareckson Tada was diagnosed with breast cancer. The thing that made this news so heart wrenching for me was the fact that Joni had for the last 43 years lived as a quadriplegic—and now this? Questions raced in my mind. “How much suffering can a person take?” She dedicated her life to Christ and helping others—and now this? The old cliché came to mind. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Can any good come from suffering?

Certain types of suffering may result from our own wrong choices or because of the wrong choices and acts of others. But regardless of the cause (sin), it is our personal response that really matters. A faith-based response will not only enable us to cope during the suffering but also rekindle our hope (2 Cor. 4:7-9). It will also strengthen our resolve and build our resiliency (2 Cor. 4:15-17).

Suffering—purpose and possibility

Our suffering is purposeful. As a ship is proven seaworthy by the beating of the waves and the whipping of the winds, likewise, our suffering aids us in becoming mature Christians.

The Apostle Peter states that after we have “suffered a while, we will be perfect, established, strengthened and settled” (1 Pet. 5:10). Paul eloquently witnessed to the value of his many suffering experiences and the future reward of his obedience and faith: “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).

How we respond to suffering is a witness to the power of God and His sustaining Presence (The Holy Spirit) in our life. It will result in His praise, honor, and glory (1 Pet. 1:6-7).

Our suffering offers possibilities. Possibilities is defined as “unspecified qualities of a promising nature”. In Latin, possibilis means “able to be done.” All things are possible, even in the midst of suffering, if we build our full reliance and trust in God. Is anything, including our suffering, too hard for God? (Jer. 32:27)

Possibilities build our hope. As Christ trusted Himself to His Father, so should we believers commit ourselves to our faithful Creator (1 Pet. 4:19). He remains our strong tower and defense regardless of the challenges we face. In addition, our hope is anchored in the firm expectation that we will reign in heaven with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12). We are to fix our eyes on Christ and the future He has for us, even though we may suffer all kinds of trials in these present times (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

Can any good come from suffering?

What would Joni Eareckson Tada say? How would the Apostles Paul and Peter respond? If we read their writings, we’d find they would answer yes. Why would they respond in that manner? Because they had developed the right theology of suffering.

That theology was not based on their current condition (suffering) but on their trust in God and their Kingdom worldview. We are told that in everything we are to give thanks (1 Thess. 5:18). That includes our suffering. We know that in that suffering experience we are guaranteed the presence of God to sustain us and the exceeding promise of His glory, both now and in the future.

Next week, we will conclude our study on suffering by answering this question, “Where is God in suffering?”

Victorious Living

Losing Our Mind

July 26, 2022 ITWMinistries

Losing our Mind

In the 90’s there was a commercial that declared “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Its intent was to encourage the pursuit of higher education.

Unfortunately, a politician, hoping to win “kudos” and votes with potential constituents misquoted this saying resulting in the statement, “a mind is a terrible thing to lose.” That politician was not re-elected.

Mind management

In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul gives advice as to the best use of one’s mind. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). In other words, we are to set aside our way of thinking and replace it with the same type of thinking as Jesus. And what is the results of doing this? Victorious living.

Victorious according to Webster is defined as having won a victory or characterized by victory. I’m not suggesting that our life will be perfect nor problem free. Our victory comes in the knowledge that Jesus has already overcome every situation we now face in our life (Heb. 4:15; 1 John 5:5). In Christ, we have everything we need to overcome the challenges of 21^st century living (2 Pet. 1:3-4, RSV).

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion and become partakers of the divine nature.

How do we obtain the mind of Christ?

To have a mind of Christ we must…

Be willing to exchange our position and our plans, for the purpose God has designed for our life. Christ willingly joined God in His plan of salvation for mankind (Eph. 1: 4-6).

Trust in God and believe that all things work together for good to those called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Humble ourselves like Christ. Our intents and actions should seek “no personal reputation” nor gain (Phil. 2:6-8). Christ voluntarily set aside His privileges (“being in the form of God”) and accepted a lower status (“took on the form of a bondservant and made in the likeness of man”). Why? For us. That we might be released from the bonds of sin and have eternal life.

Our victory

Finally, to have the mind of Christ, we must be obedient. Obedience is the highest form of love. Because of our love for God, we must be willing to sacrifice our thoughts and actions to follow the instructions He has set before us (1 Sam. 15:22). Christ’s obedience was love of the highest caliber. Jesus was obedient even if it meant death by the worst possible punishment, death on the cross (Phil. 2:8).

Paul shares with the Philippians God’s reward for Jesus Christ’s “mind” (Phil. 2:9-10):

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Possessing the mind of Christ will empower us to “pull down strongholds and cast down obstacles that hold themselves up above the knowledge of God. We can do this by bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

“A mind may be a terrible thing to lose” unless you replace it with the mind of Christ. There is an old axiom that states, “You can’t lose what you never had.” Read the Gospel account of the Madman of Gadarenes (Mark 5:1-19) and see how losing your mind can change your life.

Lenten Season

What does the Cross mean to Me?

April 12, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

A time for reflection

The week before Easter is designated as Holy Week. We join Jesus as He journeys to the Cross. We experience His “human nature”, up close and personal. The Gospel writers invite us to listen in on the conversations and vicariously join the activities that will ultimately end on Good Friday on a cross.

Hopefully this week, we will engage in activities that expand our understanding of the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus experienced (Is. 53:5). It is also a time in which we can examine our obedience in following God’s will. Are we willing to sacrifice our life on the cross that lay before us? What does the Cross mean to me?

The Cross and I

What does the Cross mean to me? Is it an object on which Christ was crucified? Or is it a piece of jewelry that you wear? Our view of the Cross is critical in that it establishes the basis of our Christian belief and personal walk of faith.

In the routine of daily living, we often forget Christ’s work of grace on the Cross. Unfortunately, some believers are only superficially drawn to the Cross. We give attention to it only during the sacrament of communion or at Easter. It is critical that we clearly define the Cross’ significance so that we might re-engage its purpose and power in our life.

At the Cross

Christian doctrine is founded on “the Cross.” Our belief about sin and salvation begin and end at the Cross (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Our identity as children and heirs of God are established by our knowledge of what Christ accomplished on the Cross (Eph. 1:7; Rom. 8:17).

To Jesus Christ, the Cross signified lordship and commitment to Him. He told those who would follow Him that unless they were willing to bear His cross, they could not be His disciple (Luke 14:27). Christ has not altered His requirement for discipleship in the twenty-first century. The Cross demands commitment.

To Paul and other New Testament writers, the Cross represented the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. This gospel was to be clearly articulated to those identified in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Jesus Christ died for sin, He rose from the dead, and “whosoever believeth in Him” shall have everlasting life. The gospel message remains the same in the twenty-first century. The Cross is salvation.

To Christians, the Cross recounts God’s extraordinary act of love. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). George Matherson penned in his hymn these words:

O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

God’s plan of salvation did not come as an “after thought” but was formed in eternity (Eph. 1:4-7). Before the Fall, God set in motion His plan of salvation to return beloved man to Himself.

Return to the Cross

Jesus was the decided Victor on Resurrection Sunday. He disarmed and shamed Satan by His victory over death and over sin (Heb. 2:14-17). Knowledge of this strengthens our faith and confidence in Him.

As believers in Christ, let us reverence the Cross, not as a material object seen in isolation, but as the instrument of Christ’s triumph and love (Col. 2:13-15).

Return to the Cross and Christ’s life-transforming love. Re-discover its power that will never pass away.

Jesus, keep me near the cross

There’s a precious fountain

Free to all a healing stream

Flows from Calvary’s mountain

In the Cross,

Be my glory ever,

‘Til my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

Have a blessed Easter. Hallelujah, He is Risen!

Lenten Season

Obedience or Slavery?

March 29, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Preparing for the Passion

Our Lenten season journey will soon close with remembrance of the Passion Week. This week, prior to Easter, recounts the suffering and death of Jesus Christ as He journeyed to the Cross. During that week, Jesus was intentional and direct as He prepared his disciples for the gruesome ending of His physical life. His act represented, not only His extreme love for us but also, His unyielding obedience to the Father.

Jesus’ substitutional death was decreed by God before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). A sacrifice for sin was needed (Lev. 17:11) and Jesus was that willing, obedient sacrifice. Jesus was to die for our sins and receive the penalty we deserved. From the Garden of Eden to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ focus was to release us from the bondage of sin (Matt. 1:21).

Jesus leads the way

Jesus announced His arrival as the promised Messiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. He was the Anointed One who would “release the captives and let the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18).

Jesus accomplished that purpose on Easter Sunday, when He rose from the dead, breaking the power and the penalty of sin in our lives (Col. 2:13-15). This includes sins we have committed in the past, commit in the present, and will commit in the future. When we reach heaven, we will finally be delivered from the presence of sin.

Jesus’ obedience led to our victory over sin and our freedom to grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18). Why? So that we can obediently serve the Lord and further His kingdom.

So why are we still acting like slaves?

In Romans 6:16-18, the Apostle Paul challenges the young church at Rome to obediently follow Jesus and the Word (the Gospel) that had been delivered to them. I guess you could call them “hokey-pokey” Christians. They had “one foot in the Church and one foot in the world”. Sound familiar?

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

This is the same “obedience challenge” we face daily while living in our earthly flesh. Until we are delivered from the presence of sin, we must doggedly declare “ourselves dead to sin and alive to God” (Rom. 6:11). We must exercise our freedom in Christ to leave behind sinful patterns and influences which move us away from God. We must not take God’s glorious gift of grace for granted and continue in sin through our disobedience.

Slaves of righteousness

During this season of Lent, many of us are practicing the discipline of fasting. We have given up some habit, practice, or vice and have replaced it with new activities that draw us closer to Jesus. This includes more time in prayer, studying the Word, or solitude.

Lent is a period of denying our “flesh” and of self-reflection, hopefully leading us to greater spiritual maturity and obedience. But let’s be honest, aren’t there some things we should stop doing beyond Lenten season? Some sin(s) that are keeping us enslaved to the world and Satan? (Heb. 12:1)

Are we choosing to remain “shackled” by sin when Christ has set us free from sin’s power and penalty?

“You are slaves of the one you obey.” Question for today: Who are you obedient to?

Lenten Season

Perfected Obedience

March 22, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

So, what have we learned about obedience?

According to Webster, obedience is defined as submission to authority. Operating with that definition, our natural response is to challenge, resist, and even disavow.

On the other hand, obedience from a Christian worldview is more than just following the letter of the law. It is discerning what God wants and choosing to seek that outcome. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for obey means to hear.

It is described as an attitude and faith-rooted disposition (2 Cor. 2:9; Phil. 2:12). It is the outward response of the heart that hears God and turns to Him.

Where does obedience come from?

Obedience is evidence of a personal relationship with God. It is not motivated by guilt or shame but by love (John 14:15). We agreed last week that mature obedience is both the outcome of our faith walk AND how we can achieve spiritual maturity. Each time we make a decision or choose a direction, or reply to an action, we are challenged to “response with a heart that hears God”.

Jesus our example

The writer of Hebrews offers us another perspective on obedience—perfected obedience.

Though He [Jesus] was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Hebrew 5:8-9 (NKJV)

Our text gives us a clue into how our obedience becomes “perfected”. It begins and ends with a clear understanding of Jesus and His walk of perfected obedience.

Firstly, Jesus never sinned. Jesus had no need to become perfect for His work of salvation. Jesus was perfect in His nature (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15). Imagine that! Even as a rambunctious child, a growing teenager, and a vibrant young man—Jesus never sinned. No defiance, no hiding behind excuses. To fulfill God’s requirement for a “blameless sacrifice for sin” (1 Pet. 1:19), Jesus suffered and was obedient unto death (Phil. 2:8).

Secondly, Jesus learned. What did He learn? Jesus learned what it meant to be human by experiencing all the emotions and sensations that we as frail humans feel. Why? So that He could identify with our depravity and brokenness.

Jesus willingly experienced the full range of emotions He had placed in us at Creation (Heb. 4:25). Jesus was moved with compassion (Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34); He cried (Luke 19:41, John 11:35); He withdrew (Matt. 14:13); Jesus condemned (Matt. 23:1-12).

But it is in Jesus’ passion that we see the greatest evidence of humanity. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He was in excruciating agony, sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:42; Mark 14:36). Ultimately, Jesus bore the full weight of our sins by hanging on a Cross and dying. (Matt. 27:50)

Jesus was perfected

Finally, Jesus was perfected. The literal translation of perfected is “to bring to an end a proposed goal”. Jesus accomplished the purpose crafted by God before the foundation of the world—to bring redemption, restoration, and reconciliation to all mankind. Jesus became the “all and everything” that was needed to bring salvation to fallen man.

Jesus learned about humanity and why His sacrificial death was the only solution for the sin problem. He became “the author of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9), the “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29), and the “first-begotten from the dead” (Rev. 1:5).

Jesus’ perfecting was accomplished through His obedience. Jesus’ submission to and love for God resulted in the greatest gift we as believers will ever receive—freedom from sin and eternal life. To put into words the enormity of God’s plan of salvation is impossible.

Perfected obedience—a new level of love and gratitude

I close with these words from F.B. Meyer on “The Perfecting of Christ”. May his words move your spirit to new levels of obedience.

For the long and steep ascent of life, our Father has given us a Companion, a Captain of the march, a Brother, even Jesus our Lord, who passed through the suffering of death, and is now crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9-11). He has passed along our pathway, and climbed our steep ascents, that He might become our merciful and faithful Friend and Helper. In this sense He was perfected, and became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation. But if we are to walk with Him, and realize His eternal salvation, we must learn to obey.

Understanding perfected obedience is captured in the life and love of Jesus the Christ. Jesus is our model and the example we daily strive to emulate. Let us endeavor, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be conformed to His image and ultimately transformed into all that God has purposed us to be (Eph. 2:10).

Lenten Season

Mature Obedience

March 16, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

Faith outcome and spiritual maturity

Last week we opened with this question: Is obedience the outcome of our faith walk or is it the means by which spiritual maturity is accomplished? The answer we discovered is that obedience is BOTH.

During our faith walk (which will continue until this life ends), our choice to either obey or disobey God will result in “life lessons” that will make us stronger instruments of God. Through these lessons we “grow” or mature spiritually.

Oswald Chambers shared this thought on obedience and spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God. Some people mature into an understanding of God’s will more quickly than others because they obey more readily; they more readily sacrifice the life of nature to the will of God.

A lesson in obedience

Let me detail the correlation between obedience and spiritual maturity with the following illustration.

A toddler, immature physically and mentally, has one basic desire—to satisfy their immediate needs. They will do just about anything to have their way, disregarding safety, or well-being along the way. This includes climbing up on high counters or grabbing objects that are dangerous to their health, i.e., laundry pods.

Toddlers show little concern for their own safety or well-being if the result is physical satisfaction. They are best served and protected by their guardian who will provide for and protect them. Toddlers must be taught to obey the direction of their guardian who will help them to gain a healthy fear of the world they live in.

Is obedience only for children?

Spiritually, the toddler illustration can also be true for believers. Oftentimes, we live in the moment—desiring what will immediately satisfy our needs. In that moment perhaps the Holy Spirit is directing us to “pray and wait” or to seek godly counsel through others or the Bible.

Many times, we will even fain obedience (fake it) by responding “I’m praying about it” when we already know what God has directed us to do. Ours is just to obey. Such was the case with Jonah.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah saying, “Go at once to Nineveh and cry out against it.” But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3)

Reluctant obedience = disobedience

Jonah was reluctant to bring God’s message to Nineveh, the capital of Israel’s hated enemy, Assyria. Foolishly, he thought he fled from the presence of the Lord (Psalm 139:7-10).

God was very clear in His instruction to Jonah. “Go at once” and “Cry out against Nineveh”. He was without excuse, yet he chose to be disobedient. The Lord did not allow him to escape.

Jonah eventually acquiesced. God’s purpose was accomplished. Nineveh repented (Jonah 3:10). But unfortunately, Jonah failed to mature spiritually (Jonah 4:3-4). He was unsuccessful in understanding the nature of God and His mercy (Exod. 33:19).

Practicing mature obedience

Like Jonah, do we often find ourselves running from the presence of the Lord? Is God asking us to respond to a divine directive we prefer not to do? This is a great place to begin practicing mature obedience.

We practice mature obedience by first seeking God’s will through reading and meditating on His Word. This will then move us naturally into prayer based on what we have read. We have the assurance of the Holy Spirit to “guide us in all truth and to glorify God” (John 16:13, 14).

Finally, we must quickly respond to what God has instructed us to do. We must obey. Hesitation is often the result of doubt, which soon leads to disobedience. Mature obedience can be practiced every day. It begins with a willing heart that is swift to say, “Yes, Lord.”

Lenten Season

The Character of Obedience

March 8, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

The nature of obedience

As we defined last week, obedience is submission to authority. Is obedience an outcome of our faith walk or is it the means by which our spiritual maturity is accomplished?

Conversation about obedience seems especially appropriate as we enter the Lenten season. As believers, we have committed to the lordship and authority of Jesus Christ. How well are we doing? Lenten season presents a “space in time” in which we can answer that question. It is also a time to identify those things that keep us from our obedience to God.

Obedience actualized

Accounts of the apostles and other great propagators of the faith give evidence that obedience plays a major role in our faith walk.

Obedience is a constant theme in the writings of the Apostle Paul. He speaks of many relationships in which we are asked to offer our obedience. These includes obedience exercised within a family (Eph. 6:1; 1 Cor. 14:34,35), between a master and their servant (Eph. 6:5), or to civil government (Titus 1:1, 3:1).

In his letter to Christians living in the first century, the Apostle John teaches on identifying genuine faith in Christ. The test is linked to obedience.

“Now by this we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:3-5)

The great 17^th century English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon had this to say about obedience:

Love is the chief jewel in the bracelet of obedience.

That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the heart, and if He seeth that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering.

You and I must be willing to do what God tells us, as God tells us, when God tells us, because God tells us, but only strong faith will be equal to such complete obedience.

Though these views come at varying times in biblical and church history, their message is still the same. Obedience is an expectation for all believers. It is not an option.

Jesus the Model of Obedience

The hallmark of obedience is modeled by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ especially as He journeyed to the Cross. Jesus modeled obedience by His humility, in His faithfulness, and in His submission to God’s will.

Jesus humbled Himself as Deity by shedding His blood for our sins.

Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:5-8

Jesus’ faithfulness is seen in His unflinching commitment to the Cross.

“(Jesus) who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Heb. 5:7-8

Jesus submitted to the will of God.

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18-19

Let us hear

The Greek word for obedience is hupakoe which means “attentive harkening, compliance or submission”. It usually refers to obedience to God’s will in a “special sense”—of willing subjection. Unlike the animals used in previous sacrifices, Christ came willingly to the Cross. He expressed His submission to God’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane as He repeated “not My will but Your will be done” (Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark 14:32-36).

Acceptance of the Gospel requires acceptance of Christ as not only Savior but also as Lord of our lives. We no longer live for ourselves but for Him (Gal. 2:20; 1 Peter 4:2). Through obedience, we learn to have the “same mind of Christ”—obedience in our faithfulness, our humility, and our submission to God’s will.

While the world encourages defiance and applauds noncompliance, Christ offers a different model for living. Through Christ’s obedience two-thousand years earlier, He changed the “eternal outcome” to “all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9). Once destined to an eternity in hell, we now are partakers of eternal life (John 3:16). That’s worth our love, our devotion, and our obedience.

Remember our opening question: “Is obedience an outcome of our faith walk or is it the means by which our spiritual maturity is accomplished?” The answer is, “it’s both”!

Lenten Season

Obedience: An Invitation to Hear

March 1, 2022 ITWMinistries Leave a comment

The Believer’s Struggle

In his book, “Think Like Jesus,” pollster George Barna tackles a formidable topic, “How do Christians develop a “biblical worldview” in a fallen world? But more than that, why is it important to do so? How is it possible to be “in this world but not of this world”? (John 17:14-15)

Our struggle with this dilemma is demonstrated by the world’s inability to see believers as being different from them. The world labels Christian beliefs as intolerant and antiquated. Because of that, we believers are often silent about our faith. The result? It is easier to “go along to get along.” The salt is no longer salty. The light has grown dim (Matt. 5:13-16).

Obedience and the Christian’s worldview

Barna offers several scriptural principles to guide us as we create a biblical worldview for our life. One of these principles is the importance of obedience to God. “Obedience is more than just following the letter of the law. It is discerning what God wants and choosing to seek that outcome.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season. It is a time when we can focus on self-examination and self-denial. It is also a great time to study this topic of obedience and answer the following questions:

What is obedience?

Why is it important in my faith walk?

How does obedience affect my “worldview”?

WIFM (What’s in it for me)?

What is obedience?

When you read or hear the word obedience, what comes to mind? If you are like me, you may instantly think of its opposite—disobedience. According to Webster, obedience is defined as submission to authority.

Operating with that definition, people immediately view obedience as harsh and demanding. Their response is understandably, resistance. Resistance is anchored in our human desire to control our destiny. For the unbeliever (and believer, too) this desire includes living independent of God’s rule in their life. This response, unfortunately, misses the true intent of godly obedience. That is why we need a biblical view of obedience.

In the Old Testament, obey is interpreted as to hear. It stresses not only hearing but also understanding. As God spoke through His revelation (His ways and works), His people were able to hear and understand His desire for them. (Jer. 29:11).

In the New Testament, obey is not only connected with hearing but also means to convince or to persuade. Obedience is described as an attitude (2 Cor. 2:9) and a faith-rooted disposition (Phil. 2:12).

We hear, we are persuaded, and in an attitude of faith, we obey. When we hear God speak to us (through His Spirit), our response should be to obey His instruction. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Obedience flows from the heart

The obedience of Jesus is held as the ultimate example for believers. Jesus heard God’s instruction and “humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8) His obedience flowed out of His personal relationship with God—He heard and knew the Father. More importantly, Jesus’ obedience was connected to and motivated by love.

Obedience is the outward response of a heart that loves God. God’s call for obedience is a loving invitation to experience His best. Man’s response to God’s invitation is a heart that hears and turns to Him (Ps. 14:2).

Obedience, properly understood, is never a cold or impersonal command that arouses resentment. Our response of obedience should flow from a heart that hears God’s voice, feels God’s love, and turns to Him.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray,

but now I obey your word.

Psalm 119:66-67 (NIV)