Absolute Obedience

           At the height of the climax of Star Wars Episode III, Obi-Wan makes a compelling statement before he engages in a veritable battle of good vs. evil with Anakin Skywalker. Anakin tells Obi-Wan that he is either with him or against him and after concluding that there will be no reasoning with the fallen Jedi, Obi-Wan says this: "Only a Sith deals in absolutes". This is to say, only evil deals in absolutes. While the philosophical arguments made in the Star Wars saga are interesting and plentiful, if we were to meditate on this one statement alone, could it be backed up by scripture?

Now, the purpose of this post isn’t to argue the biblical soundness of Star Wars. Instead, I just want to reflect on the sentiment that only evil deals in absolutes that exists not only in this movie franchise but also in our culture, even our Church culture. It's an attitude that says there are gray areas. That God can hate the sin, but love the sinner. That as long as you're being a reasonably good person, by some ambiguous and highly relational standard, then you’ve run the race well. Why specifically I bring this up now is to enable us to operate in a mindset that disengages this worldly rhetoric in our spiritual lives so that we may conform to His will and His heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, through obedience.

            Our God-the Most Holy-the only truly good-absolutely deals in absolutes. Here are just a few examples (emphasis mine):

 You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

 He who is not with Me is against Me (Matthew 12:30)

           As seasoned believers we understand this area of absoluteness: we can only be made acceptable to God through the sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and that if we are not acceptable to God, we are an enemy of God. This we seem to understand well enough. It's pretty ingrained into our spiritual conscience, even if we occasionally lose sight of the magnitude of this knowledge (which is something to mourn over, to be certain). Where this limited understanding of His supremacy becomes an issue in the area of spiritual growth is when it comes to obedience. We hear the absoluteness in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that says we have the mind of Christ, but when we measure that against our own minds we come up with this idea that the things that do not measure up to a Christ-like mind are the result of our imperfection. Somehow, though, this isn’t reconciled with this portion of  scripture: "and you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith…" (Colossians 1:21-23).

Scripture is very clear that God not only is absolute in power to save but that the Holy Spirit also has absolute power. If we receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ then it should be no wonder that when giving instructions on how to conduct ourselves there is still very much a theme of absoluteness. This is why it is an issue when we continue to sin and excuse it because we as feeble humans are imperfect. Yes, we are imperfect and our flesh and the enemy is strong. But Christ’s redemptive power is stronger and we are given this power upon receiving the Holy Spirit. When we excuse, or even just lament about, our imperfection and our affinity to sin, we are sending a message to ourselves, to the world, and to our Heavenly Father, that His holy power and absoluteness is limited to salvation and does not extend far enough to actually change us. This is not the God I know and conducting ourselves in this manner is diluting His glory, which could be the greatest sin we might ever commit.

As we enter into the discipline of obedience, we must make much about God and less about ourselves. We will never be Christ-exultingly obedient on our own accord. Only through grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit will we see transformation-will there be something different about us. Our obedience for the sake of obedience does nothing for the glory of God. It does not take a Godly person to be a good and obedient person. I dare say there are plenty of unbelievers who conduct themselves in a way that is more obedient to God’s commands than we as believers do. Being a good person will do nothing for the glory of Christ. Being a transformed person will. Transformation is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit and will be the mark of a truly mature Christian. So as we begin to conform our minds, our hearts, and our actions to the will of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must do so in a manner that allows us to see His absolute power and allows others to see His glory. Any other path to obedience is futile.

A Mind Like Christ

"Take Thou our minds, dear Lord, we humbly pray,
Give us the mind of Christ each passing day;
Teach us to know the truth that sets us free;
Grant us in all our thoughts to honor Thee."

Hymn by Calvin Weiss Laufer, 1918

     It is both incredibly strange and also quite tragic that we can read the Word of God and become conditioned to it. I, like so many others I'm sure, read His Word daily, sometimes with vigor and sometimes out of habit. More often than not, I read The Bible as an eager student and I look to it to learn, grow, and complete a cohesive picture of God's glory. And, perhaps, that is where my fault lies-too often I read it as a textbook instead of the uncompromising, sometimes unsettling, wonder that it is.
     Every once in a while, though, I am reminded that His Word still holds the power to take my breath away and bring me to my knees. One such occasion was the other day as I was reading through 1 Corinthians and I came to the second chapter and sixteenth verse:

For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?"

 But we have the mind of Christ. (NKJV)

     The implications of this are staggering. The text does not say: we strive to have the mind of Christ. Nor does it say: more often than not we have the mind of Christ. No, Scripture says "we have the mind of Christ"-unequivocally, indisputably, absolutely. I don't know about you, but when I meditate on the way my mind operates, I'd say more often than not it probably isn't very Christ-like. But, The Bible is clear, isn't it? If we are new creatures in Christ, if we have died to ourselves and to the world, if we become one with Christ, then we share in the mind of Christ.

     If we are to begin this journey of purging out ourselves and ushering in Jesus in order to become obedient then the mind seems both a logical and also biblical place to start. It's logical for a few reasons. First, our mind is a very primal thing we have command of. It may not be the easiest means to bring under our reign, or more importantly Christ's reign, but it is the most accessible. Which leads to the second point, the mind is the well-spring of everything else you have control over. The choices you make, the way you treat people, what you pursue-these will all be determined by how you think and what you think about. Finally, it is logical because it is biblical. In Romans 7:25 Paul teaches us something about the mind: "I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." Transformation begins with the mind-it is the vessel that we learn and accept God and once we receive the Holy Spirit it is what He indwells-so that we have the minds of Christ. It is our mode of obedience, set apart for the depth and service of the Lord, while the flesh remains privy to worldly decay and self-pursuit.

     Imagine, if you will, that you were given a present as a teenager-an heirloom. As an adolescent you warmly accepted the gift with gratitude, perhaps humoring your parents, or grandparents, who gave it to you. You place it on your dresser for a while and then eventually it finds its way into a drawer. As time passes on, it makes its way into a box and you transfer it along as you go to college and then when you move into your first home. You forget about it for the most part, occasionally remembering it and that it's in storage somewhere. Then one day as the giver of the gift lies on their death bed, they ask you if you still have the heirloom and you tell them that you do. Though you don't tell them you haven't got a clue where it might be, just that you know you have it somewhere. They then proceed to tell you the story of how your ancestors fought long and hard to get that gift and that they kept it safe for many years, and they reveal that the gift which once seemed useless and trivial to you was actual the key to a great wealth that will change your life forever. You go home and frantically start searching for it, through boxes and boxes of stuff amassed over the years, through closets and the garage and finally the attic. And, then, after days of searching you find it, exhausted but elated and you cash in on the treasure that should have been yours years ago.

     So, my friend, as we begin to contemplate what a transformed, Christ-like mind looks like, let us not forget that this will not be a new discovery. We were given this gift years ago when we received the Holy Spirit. Our job now is only to uncover that gift from the years of clutter and neglect. A Christ-like mind is instantly given and is ours to uncover as soon as we are willing. 

     





The Holy Experiment of Obedience

     We are waiting. Maybe not as expectantly as we should be. And maybe not as earnestly as we should be. But we are waiting-waiting for God to send down the holy fire of His Spirit to shake the nations. We are waiting for God to move this world. We are waiting for revival.
    
     God is also waiting. He has already enacted His plan and, contrary to what we have fed ourselves to believe, it didn't end with Jesus. Jesus was the prologue-the vital background that provides the foundation for the rest of the play. The script has been written. The stage has been set. The audience filled. Now, God-the Great Director-waits on his players, waits for those He's casted to fulfill their roles. And yet, the curtains remain undrawn.
    
     Revival is imminent. Revival is always near. God will change the world and His plan to do so begins with Jesus and ends with you and I. Through our faith in Christ, we become part of a much bigger movement than acting the Christian part. No, through the power of the Holy Spirit we are called to live out our roles in a way that makes our audience gasp, makes them think, and ultimately leaves them wanting more.
    
     But first we must leave our own play-the one we've written ourselves, the stage we've built to spotlight our own greatness. We must close the curtain on our own agenda and find ourselves reciting the lines of the greatest writer in the history of the world. To finish this production we've invested so much in we must proclaim two words that are utterly synonymous with that grand finale of theatrics: "The End". These two words signal the end of ourselves and the beginning of God's plan. In this drama they are:

''Yes, Lord"

     "Yes, Lord" exudes an attitude of radically immediate obedience. And obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit is God's only plan for revival.

     "Yes, Lord" says I may not know why You're asking me to do this or how I will be able able to, but I will do it and I will do it now, because I find hope in You and I believe with all that I have that You are good and You are mighty and where I am weak, You are strong. It says, I trust You, Lord. I do not believe that you are some manipulative tyrant in the sky and that even when I don't see it and even when the world vehemently disagrees, that all you ask of us is for our good and, more importantly, for Your glory.

     The radical obedience ushered in with those two little words: "Yes, Lord", says This is where I end and You begin. You are God. I am servant. Your will be done.

      Radical obedience trusts, glorifies, and testifies. Obedience is the only hope of revival. No one will be saved from the wrath of Hell if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No one will become disciples if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No sick will be healed if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No dead will be raised if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit. No change will be seen in our world, let alone our lives, if we are not obedient by the power of the Holy Spirit.

      So I invite you to join me in this holy experiment of radical obedience. I want my heart to be, and yours to be, that every time we explore what God asks of us, even if we don't understand, that our immediate reaction would be "Yes, Lord". That the very moment we become aware of a command that we would instantly confess our failings in that area, and that we would beg for the mercy of God then repent of it and translate it to our lives. That we would hear and instantly obey is what God expects of us. We need to remember that our flesh is weak, but He is strong. Our life in Christ was not meant to be Him waiting patiently as we engage in a cycle of sin then guilt then temporary obedience then sin and so on. I do this. You do this. But our life in Christ is victorious because we have been endowed with the Holy Spirit. Anything short of victory is spiritual infancy.

       It's opening night, beloved. The curtain is rising. Are you ready? 

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

      Just so you know, I had planned on writing about an entirely different topic today. My intent was not to continue on the theme of death, but this is where the Spirit led me so I will follow the prompting. And really, who doesn’t want to talk about death two days in a row?

The Valley
      Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You [are] with me” Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

     We are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, my friend. In fact, we are dwelling in it- that valley, cradled between the crest of life at birth and the mountain of death. Life on earth is the valley of the shadow of death- the venture forever eclipsed by that which is impending and certain: death. As soon as we enter into this life we begin our inevitable journey toward death. Bear with me through this discouraging thought, but, ultimately, we must understand that life on earth is not composed of living, but of actively dying.

 Death is the Very Contrast of God
    
      According to the Law, there are several rules about ritual purity. These were (and are) the instructions given on how to separate oneself from that which is unholy in order to enter into the presence of God. All of these have one unifying theme, which is death. Each law is meant to cleanse from a brush with death-handling a corpse, a woman’s menstruation, animal sacrifices, etc. What can be learned from this observation? Death is the very contrast of God.
    
      As far as good is from evil and light from darkness, so too is death from the Living God. Therefore, if death is the very contrast of God and life on earth is the valley of the shadow of death, then life on earth is the very juxtaposition of God. This has some remarkable implications, ranging from why God allows suffering to why we cannot covet the things of this world, but those are topics for another time. For now, I’d like to turn to Jesus.

 Because He Lives
    
      When Jesus took on the flesh of man, we understand that He also took on the death sentence of which we are all subject to. It is important to reflect on Jesus’s death as special-Jesus, Son of God, had power over death and yet He came to die. Jesus took on our death sentence, our condemnation, as a living sacrifice. Jesus’s ultimate mission was to die. What might also be important to note, though, is the certainty of death that can be testified in Jesus’s own death. When God came and indwelled on earth, he also took on that earthlike certainty: death. If God let Himself experience physical death, you can be certain that there will be no escaping it for yourself.
      
     But that’s not where the story ends, of course. Yes, Jesus experienced a physical death and so will we, but Jesus did not suffer a spiritual death and neither should you. In faith in Christ as the Son of God, our only hope of salvation, we become one with Christ (Phil 1:27; Gal 4:7). As such, we are resurrected with Christ to have eternal life. We fear not death, because we have hope of eternal life with Christ. This is a resounding promise we can rest in, but I dare say we do not.
    
      To choose Jesus Christ is to choose life. To choose life is to choose not to live in fear. All fears, ultimately, are a fear of death. We fear things that might cause us bodily harm beyond repair, the death of a marriage, the death of a friendship, the death of career or success. There is not a single fear that is not, in some way, an incarnation of death. As believers, though, we are not governed by these fears because we are not governed by death. Being one with Christ means we are not bound by death and so are not bound by fear.

 Confusing God with Sanctimonious Death
    
      Throughout scripture, when one encounters the Living God, an angel, or the resurrected Christ, we see that person either express fear or the angel or God instructs them not to fear, suggesting that the person is, or will become, fearful at encountering the Living God. There is a reason for this. When in the presence of the Most Holy, mere man can only be certain of his inequity. God’s punishment for such inequity being death-separation from Him (remember, death is the direct opposite of God). This fear, like all others, derives from a fear of death. And this time, it’s more than warranted.
    
     As believers in Christ, though, something should change. We see clearly from Romans 8:1 that in Christ Jesus we have no condemnation. Therefore, we ought to have no fear when we come before our God. That is not to say that we shouldn’t still be reverent. Were we to forget that death is a sentence we were pardoned from, we would lose sight of the magnificence of grace. However, to fear is to allow death to have a hold on you. It’s like having your sentence to death commuted, but everyday preparing for the guillotine. Beloved, why are you fearful when the basis of your fear is erased as a possibility?
    
     Psalm 23:4, shows us the peace and direction we are to have. Even though we are traversing through and toward our physical ruin, we have no fear, for God is with us. Christ promises that He is always with us (Matthew 18:15-20). If we are to believe (and we do), that we have victory over death in Christ and that God, the opposition to death, is always with us, can death touch us? The answer is no. No lasting death can touch us, as death cannot touch God. So, what then do you have to fear?
    
      To fear is to confuse God’s glory with fruitless death and to do so is to tread into dangerous waters. By doing this, you are losing sight of the power of God-which is irreverent-and you are negating that power that you join into when you become a follower of Christ-which is ungrateful and foolish. It’s also very tragic. You will lose so much of the wonder of walking with God if you constantly allow the fear of death to eclipse His glory. The battle has already been won, beloved, stop undermining the victory by anticipating a different outcome.

Death as a Scare Tactic

      God does not resort to human modes of manipulation, but He does know how to get our attention and death is a pretty effective way to do that. Why would God allow us to dwell in a place that is ever shadowed by death? The answer is simple: death is a reminder. It’s a reminder that we have a choice. We can choose death or we can choose Christ and by doing so, choose life. Free will is present in our world and as long as we’re in the midst of death, we are reminded of that. Sometimes we need death to press against us a little closer to get it. Sometimes we need to be chased by some Egyptians. Sometimes we need to try and kill our sons (not that I’m advising that outside of the story of Abraham, mind you). Sometimes our firstborns need to be killed. Sometimes our husbands need to die. And sometimes we need to see a sinless Savior die.

      In light of this, though, we understand that God gives life everlasting. And while we have death as the ever present reminder that separation from God is both horrifying and precariously within grasp, we have peace. Trust is a discipline, brothers and sisters. To cast out fear and declare this almighty power of God, takes work and faith but He gives us the greatest reason to do so- to have a relationship with Him. So take a moment to meditate on the fragility of this life when you encounter death- when you read about the loss of life from a natural disaster, when a loved one dies, when a friendship dies, when security dies-and then cast away all fear, for you know you are well outside the grips of death. Trust Him and then move forward with your life. Do the things He’s asked you to do without fear, for any fear you may have is incomparable to the power of God Almighty. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, do not fear-for He is with you.