How often have you heard something like this preached to you? "To submit is to yield to the will and control of another, and, with reference to Christians, it is yielding to the will and control of Jesus Christ. This means that when Scripture commands believers to love one another (John 15:17), that is what is to be done. It means that when Scripture says we are not to commit adultery or steal (Exodus 20:14-15), these things are not to be done. It should be understood that submission, or obedience to the commands of God, is related to Christian growth and maturity, and is not related to becoming a Christian." Let me ask you a question, "How often are your actions genuine if you are responding to a "command"? Often times they are not. We may obey a command, but it is often done for one of two reasons; the promise of rewards for doing so or to avoid punishment for not doing what you're commanded. The willingness of your heart to do these things is not even a factor. Take for example the subject of adultery. If you are married, do you stay faithful to your spouse because the Bible says, "You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)" or because you love your spouse and don't want to commit adultery? Is your motivation for not stealing based on the fact the Bible says, "You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)" or because you are content with what you have and don't want to steal? Do you love another person because Jesus said, "This I command you, that you love one another (John 15:17)" or because you are being loved by your God and bearing the fruit of the Spirit to those in your life? If we are living our lives by "commands," there is the idea, at least to some extent, that it doesn't matter if we want to or not, just that we behave and do it. Furthermore, when something is not from the heart, i.e. natural, it is not only difficult to do it is equally difficult to convince the one on the receiving end of your action that it is, indeed, authentic. Besides, what is the penalty for disobeying a command? From a worldly standpoint, the penalties for adultery and theft are obvious; destroyed marriages and imprisonment for starters. If you are a respected individual in your church, you may lose any ministry position you have, get shamed and, perhaps, even have your faith in Jesus questioned. But, what about God's opinion?
Since we are focusing on what the Scripture says, let's take a look at what God has to say about how we are to live. Regarding love, it says, "We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)." When it comes to adultery, we read, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25)." As for stealing; "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need (Ephesians 4:28)." The common thread in all of these verses is love. The love a Christian expresses doesn't come from a physical response to a command to do so, but from a changed heart stemming from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God making us a "new creation" in Christ. Scripture clearly states, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (Galatians 5:18)." A command, no matter how it is presented, is a law and Christians are not under any law; God's or otherwise. The law only stirs up more sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) and is a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). The exact thing that people are saying to do, obey the commands of God, will only lead to those things, sin and condemnation, they are trying to avoid by being "obedient" to God's commands. The end result is a life of fear as you soon realize you are not obeying God and that He must be disgusted with you. But, Scripture says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (1 John 4:18)." God wants us to rest in His love and finished work, not live in fear, condemnation and expecting punishment. God did not create mankind to live in obedience to His commands. He created mankind to rest in His love and be led by His Spirit. That is why Scripture says, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10)." Love is the fulfillment of the law. In other words, love is the fulfillment of God's commands. When you are loving your neighbor, you will not be sinning with or against them because you don't want to. Therefore, among other things, you will not be coveting their spouse or their property, which means you will not be committing adultery or stealing. John 15:17 and Exodus 20:14-15 will be fulfilled because you are resting in God's love, not trying to obey His commands. And when you are not focusing on your attempts to be obedient, you can focus on God and begin to grow and mature in the knowledge of Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment