Obedience John 14:23-26 There are rare and precious services to be rendered by the obedient one- services which can only be rendered by such, and which owe all their preciousness to their being the fruit of simple obedience. True, they may not find a place in the public record of mans bustling activity; but they are recorded on high, and they will be published at the right time. As a dear friend has often said to us, “Heaven will be the safest and happiest place to hear all about our work down here.” May we remember this, and pursue our way, in all simplicity, looking to Christ for guidance, power, and blessing. May His smile be enough for us. May we not be found looking sideways to catch the approving look of a poor mortal whose breath is in his nostrils, nor sigh to find our names amid the glittering record of the great men of the age. The servant of Christ should look far beyond all such things. The grand business of the servant is to obey. His object should not be to do a great deal but simply to do what he is told. This makes the Bible precious as the store of the Masters will, to which he must continually check to know what he is to do and how he is to do it. Neither tradition nor expediency will do for the servant of Christ. The all- important inquiry is, “What do the Scriptures say?” This settles everything. From the decision of the Word of God, there must be no appeal. When God speaks, man must bow. It is not by any means a question of obstinate adherence to a mans own notions. Quite the opposite. It is a reverent adherence to the Word of God. It often happens that when one is determined through grace to abide by Scripture, he will be pronounced dogmatic, intolerant and imperious; no doubt, one has to watch over his temper, spirit and style, even when seeking to abide by the Word of God. But remember obedience to Christs commandments is the very opposite of imperiousness, dogmatism, and intolerance. It is not strange that when a man tamely consents to place his conscience in the keeping of his fellow, and to bow down his understanding to the opinions of men, he is considered meek, modest, and liberal; but let him reverently bow to the authority of the holy Scripture, and he will be looked upon as self- confident, dogmatic, and narrow- minded. The time is rapidly approaching when obedience will be called by its right name and will meet its recognition and reward. The faithful must be content to wait for that moment, and while waiting for it, be satisfied to let men call them whatever they please. - Adapted from The Bible:Its Supremacy and Sufficiency by C. H. Mackintosh
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:32:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015