For a few days I have had trouble with FB and wasnt able to post the summaries of the rest of the chapter from the book FALSE ASSUMPTIONS. Here is the remainder of chapter 11, which was considering the myth that doing what is right is more important than why it is done. FALSE ASSUMPTIONS, Chapter 11, Just Doing The Right Thing Is More Important Than Why I Do It. Obedience Always Has a Purpose- Obedience is part of a relationship. Obedience is a structure to train us in maturity, not an end in itself.- Think of parenthood. Disciplining children is not a goal in itself. The purpose is to raise responsible individuals. Notice these verses- Deuteronomy 5:33a- 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you… Deut. 6:24- And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Deut. 10:12,13- And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? God is not a control freak. He does not tell us things to do just to keep out of His hair. He is training us in obedience for our own good, for our maturity and because He loves us. Our obedience needs to be motivated by our love for Him. Levels of Obedience- Obedience changes as we mature. Our relationship with God requires less and less structure. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:13-14 God’s Word is hidden in our hearts, keeping us from sinning against Him. Psalm 119:11 Why Obedience for the Sake of Obedience is Unbiblical 1. It offers sacrifice instead of true obedience. Matthew 9:13/ Hosea 6:6 2. It ignores the integrity (wholeness) of the individual. Isaiah 29:13 3. It discourages a sense of responsibility and ignores the reason behind obedience ( Don’t ask why. Just do it.) 4. It promotes lying. Matthew 21:28,30 5. It denies our fallenness. We need to recognize those parts of us that are not yet sanctified, not ignore them as we perform. 6. It devalues the power of the cross in our lives. We need grace and time to become obedient. The authors presented a cycle of maturing, one in which grace and forgiveness is offered for failures and progress is made until the next failure. In the context of grace, the chapter ends with this: “When is the last time you backed away from a struggle with compulsive behaviors? Were you bound and determined to beat it through discipline, guilt, or self-shaming? There is a better way. When we allow ourselves to work through our inner motives and conflicts about situations, we are more free to be autonomous, to take responsibility for our behavior, and to be truly free in Christ.”
Posted on: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 10:15:15 +0000
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