The Danger of Superficial Obedience

The great preacher Andrew Murry once wrote these powerful words regarding our Lord's command found in John 14:15 (“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.")

"If we give ourselves up so that our hearts may be searched by God’s Spirit, we may find that we never gave obedience its rightful place and importance in the way we lived, and that this lack is the cause of all our failure in prayer and in work. We may see that the deeper blessings of God’s grace and the full enjoyment of God’s love and nearness have been beyond our reach, simply because we never made obedience what God wanted it to be – the starting point and the goal of our Christian lives."1

Murry is telling us, myself included, that our problem as Christians, and by default, Christ Church, is connected to our willingness to obey. As a result of our superficial obedience, we miss a deeper walk with God. 

I think something greater has occurred because of our insincere commitment to Jesus; the darkness is prevailing. When we look at our nation and culture we see several things that we shake our heads and play the blame game.

• Sexual Distortion
• Violence
• Attack on Marriage
• Racism
• Mass Incarceration
• ETC
  

Imagine what our city, nation, and world would be like if the church were united in sharing the Light. Could the above divisive issues have been resolved long ago if every Christian had stood firm on the Gospel and advanced into the darkness as commanded instead of retreating into a sad expression of His church?

Satan wins when we do nothing! We have the power and the Holy Spirit given to us for the advancement and to overcome the darkness. Instead, so many have given into the culture, becoming more like the church in the name of love, social gospel, or acceptance. Let me remind you of Paul's words in Galatians 1:6-10

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

My Friends, I do not intend to berate you or shame you unless the outcome of such is the outcome of obedience. We can over come the darkness, it is not too late. Our goal and duty remain the same, "Go and Make Disciples... "

I pray that we will put the commands of God into action in our lives. 

Tomorrow, I will connect this admonishment to the duty of Christ Church. I hope to see you then. 

 

Pastor Charles,

1 Murray, Andrew. The School of Obedience: If ye love me, keep my commandments – John 14:15 Aneko Press. 2019, (p. 12). (Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was a well-known South African writer, teacher, and pastor)