Give Nothing Less Than Loving Obedience to God

Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist. 1 John 2:4, NRSV.
I have been reported as saying you could not be saved unless you kept the Sabbath. Does it indeed seem meaningless, the requirement of the fourth commandment? Does not the habitual subjection to our heavenly Master’s will lead the obedient to ask constantly and earnestly, not “What is pleasing?” not “What is the most convenient or agreeable to self or those around us?” but “What does my Lord require? What is the will of God concerning me?”
Is it anything strange that one should do this or that under the conviction of the Spirit of God, under a sense of the fact that a refusal or neglect to do so would endanger the soul’s salvation? Is this a matter hard to comprehend, that obedience on our part to all God’s law is absolutely essential to eternal life? Is this an unfathomable mystery to the Christian—to secure the soul’s salvation at any cost to self or selfish interest? Does the Word of God give us any assurance that we can get to heaven just as well transgressing the law as obeying it? If so, the whole requirement of God as a condition of salvation is an entire mistake.
Were the inhabitants of the old world who perished in the Flood punished for their disobedience of God’s requirements? Or were they washed by the waters of the deluge straight into glory because our merciful God is too good to execute the final penalty of transgressing His law? Were the Sodomites punished for their disobedience and only Lot saved? Or were the inhabitants of Sodom winged by the fire that fell from heaven straight into glory?
Has God commanded? Then we must obey—without hesitating and seeking to find some way to be saved without obedience; this would be climbing up some other way. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” “I have kept my Father’s commandments,” says the Majesty of heaven….
We should not obey the commandments merely to secure heaven, but to please Him who died to save sinners from the penalty of the transgression of the Father’s law. The sinner’s salvation depends upon … ceasing to transgress and obedience to that transgressed law. No one should venture or presume upon the mercy of God, feeling at liberty to sin as much as they dare…. It is a sad resolve to follow Christ as far off as possible, venturing as near the verge of perdition as possible without falling in.—Letter 35b, 1877.
Christ Triumphant p. 77
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Prayer Requests
—–I have a job interview on Tuesday. Please pray that if God sees it is best that I will be hired. RJ
—–Please pray for my nephew Liam. He’s at children’s hospital and my brother says he struggling. Jennifer
—–Please pray for Alistair and Neroli, who were in a serious motor vehicle accident three days ago. Myke
—–Please pray for our missing missionaries and their patients.
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Dear Friends,
When I was a little girl, my grandparents did not have a car. We walked or rode the bus everywhere. When I was six, my mother saved up and bought a car that was nine years old. The salesman promised her that it was very reliable and would give her many years of service. He lied. My mother was so happy and proud of that pale green 1942 Buick. She took me for a ride and that made me so happy. As we rode along, we felt so free. We no longer had to rely on anyone else to take us where we wanted to go. She envisioned many years of being able to go where she wanted when she wanted. We would take so many trips together. We would have so much fun. We were full of high expectation.
She had not driven the car for too many days, however, when she began to notice that the engine was not sounding quite right. She wasn’t sure what was wrong. Every time she got gas, the gas station attendant told her that she needed oil. That engine leaked like a sieve. First one thing and then another went wrong with that car. It seemed to be falling apart right before her eyes. Finally, after only having it for three or four months, she had the junk man tow it away. She was very disappointed. She had to wait another fourteen years before she was able to get another car.
The evil one is like that used car salesman. He promises us years of great happiness if we will “buy” the pleasures that he offers. He says to us, as he said to Eve, “Ye shall not surely die.” Gen 3:4 He lies. At first that forbidden pleasure seems wonderful. We feel so free, so elated. But that feeling does not last. It is not long until we begin to experience a “let down.” That “darling sin” no longer gives us happiness. Things begin to go wrong. Our life begins to fall apart. The freedom that we envisioned when we listened to the devil’s urgings, never materializes. Instead, we are left with emptiness and regrets. Indeed, we find ourselves bound with the chains of our sin. We long to be free, but are helpless.
Solomon had this experience. At the beginning of his reign, he was humble and sincere. “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.” 1 Kings 3:5-14
What a great future Solomon could have had. Yet it was not too many years before Solomon was a miserable man and an oppressive ruler. He had gone against the commandment of the Lord, “he shall not….multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” Deut 17:15-17 The record says, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.” 1 Ki 11:1-3 Solomon began as a great and wise king, yet he became a slave to the pleasures of sin that his wives urged upon him. Those pleasures that had seemed so desirable left him empty inside. In his dissatisfaction he laments, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity….I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Ecc 1:2-14 In the end of his book, he urged, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” 12:1,13
Let us shut our ears to the whisperings of the evil one and turn away from his suggestions. Let us flee to the Saviour for the deliverance that we so greatly need. Let us place our weak and trembling hand in His Mighty and Powerful Hand and allow Him to lead us all the way to His Heavenly Kingdom is my prayer.
Rose