Lessons from the King: True Obedience

Build Your Life on the Rock: True Obedience
What’s your foundation? In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus contrasts two builders—one wise, one foolish—facing the same storm. The difference? Obedience. In the post True Obedience Paul’s Ponderings dives into the Sermon on the Mount’s climax, exploring how loyalty to King Jesus through action, not just words, keeps us standing when life’s winds blow. Read it now and ask: Which house are you living in?

Follow Jesus Even When it is Difficult

It is easy to follow Jesus when we agree with what he says.

I feel more inclined to give when I have extra money in the bank, but it is a little harder to be generous when I am worried about paying the bills.

I am okay with loving people people who are like me, but it is more difficult to love someone who thinks and acts differently than I do.

I love to preach about risk taking and stepping out of our comfort zone, but it is next to impossible to get me to do something that I am not comfortable with doing.

A true follower of Jesus doesn't get to pick and choose what commandments or teachings he is going to obey. A disciple of Jesus spends his life trying to be like Jesus in every way he possibly can.

To be a Christ Follower means that we have submitted our entire lives to the will and teaching of Jesus.

To actually follow Jesus moves us beyond agreeing with the teachings of Jesus to actually changing the way we live based on who Jesus is and what he taught.

Faith is not demonstrated merely when we do those things that we agree with God are right to do, but doing those things God has called us to do that are difficult and uncomfortable.

This is the type of life that teaches us to trust God more than we trust ourselves.

57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head."
59 He said to another person, "Come, follow me."
The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."
60 But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!* Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God."
61 Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family."
62 But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."
Luke 9:57-62; NLT

Each of these men had an excuse why they couldn't follow Jesus right a way.

They believed in Jesus, they apparently agreed with his teaching, but what he asked them to do conflicted with what they wanted to do.

Our faith is developed when we put aside those things we want to do and change long held beliefs so we can surrender to the will and teaching of Jesus.

There were many people who wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus reminded them what was expected of them.

To truly be a disciple of Jesus wasn't just about following Jesus around the countryside, witnessing miracles, listening to his teachings, and being part of a spiritual group.

To truly follow Jesus meant to give up everything and do God's will. This is what separates the followers of Jesus from the fans of Jesus. It is the difference between merely believing and having true faith.

To really have faith in Jesus means that we do the things that don't make sense to us. Things that are difficult.

Perhaps we give up our well paying job and enter the paid ministry.

Perhaps we pick up our family and move to a different country to be missionaries.

Perhaps we decide to give a little more money even though it will stretch the budget.

Perhaps we choose to quit just sitting in the pew and find a way to volunteer in order to use the talents God has given us.

Following Jesus isn't about our safety and dreams, but rather it is about doing God's will.

When we learn to trust Jesus, even when we don't understand the reasons why or don't agree with the direction God is asking us to go, that is when our faith is able to mature and deepen.

Following Jesus is about learning to trust God more than we trust ourselves.


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The Sacrifice of Obedience – Paul's Ponderings

"A consistent theme that runs through the pages of Scripture is the theme of sacrifice. This is especially obvious in the Old Testament since the Jewish religion depended on the sacrificial system for covenant restoration. The sacrifice that was offered in faith would restore a person or the entire nation to the covenant they had with God.

In the New Testament the focus of sacrifice shifts to Jesus. When Christians talk about sacrifice we are usually talking about the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross so we can be saved. Since we are saved by Jesus’ sacrifice we often over look the sacrifice that we are to make when we follow Jesus.

What sacrifices am I making to follow Jesus?

That is an important question to ponder. Since many of us live in the United States, it is fairly easy to “follow” Jesus. There isn’t much of a cost to being a Christian. We have been spared from harsh physical persecution and we have been blessed with enough money that it isn’t much of a sacrifice to give to support the ministries of our church families."


Finish reading at The Sacrifice of Obedience – Paul's Ponderings



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Spiritual Formation Through Trials » Paul's Ponderings

All of us would like life to be smooth, without bumps or surprises, yet we have lived long enough to know that is not the case. Life is difficult and full of unexpected problems.

We can react to these problems in one of two ways. The first way we can react is to allow these hardships and trials to make our lives miserable. The second way is to see them as opportunities for God to strengthen our faith.

In Seizing Your Divine Moment, Erwin McManus wrote; “It becomes more than obvious the longer you walk with God that His teaching environment for us really is life. And allowing us to fail is not a punishment from God, but a part of God's process for shaping who we are.”

Finish reading at Spiritual Formation Through Trials » Paul's Ponderings:

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A Deeper Relationship » Paul's Ponderings

Like all relationships, our relationship with God is strengthened through experience. The shared experiences that we have with friends and family provide memories and creates a bond that is essential to long lasting relationships.

Our shared experiences with God will look different, but that doesn’t mean they are any less valuable. We are able to experience God in our lives as we live in obedience to His Word.

The reason many American Christians are frustrated with their relationship with God has little to do with their passion for ministry, their commitment to worship, or their love for God. Rather, the problem lies in their obedience. If you are not willing to obey God then you will miss out on God working in and through your life. In short, you will not experience God in your life.

Finish reading at A Deeper Relationship » Paul's Ponderings.

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Commit to Know God's Will

We are created in God's image. One of the implications of that reality is that we are to live out God's character in our lives. The best life, the life we were created to live, is discovered in doing God's will.

Since God created us to do His will, then it is logical to assume that God will not hide His will from us. He wants us to know His will.

How do we discover God's will?

We discover God's will by studying His word. The combination of the Bible and the Holy Spirit allow us to know and do God's will.

This is the point Henry and Richard Blackaby make in the book Hearing God’s Voice:

Many people underestimate God’s Word. It is far more powerful than many realize. From Genesis to Revelation God’s Word has the power to speak directly to a person’s heart. By the Holy Spirit, God takes his written Word and applies it specifically to people’s lives...The Bible is not merely one option for discovering God’s will. God’s written Word is the plumb line for our lives as we walk daily with him (p. 91).

If we hope to discover God’s will then the starting point needs to be the Bible. The Bible is God's revealed word to us, and the Holy Spirit is our divine teacher who helps us understand how God's will applies to our lives.

Finish reading at Paul's Ponderings: Commit to Know God's Will

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The Key to Spiritual Formation

Intention is needed if we are going to make improvements in our lives. This is true in whatever we do, and that includes spiritual formation. Spiritual formation requires us to make the choice to pursue spiritual maturity.

In my journey of spiritual formation the workbook Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby played a significant role. In Experiencing God Blackaby wrote; “Adjustments prepare you for obedience. You cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are, and go with God at the same time. That is true throughout Scripture.” (p. 127)

This is a key point that Blackaby makes throughout Experiencing God. For us to experience spiritual formation requires us to adjust our lives to God’s will. It is not enough to know correct doctrine or simply go to Church each Sunday. What is required is for us to obey God and follow Jesus wherever He leads us.

Finish reading at Paul's Ponderings: The Key to Spiritual Formation.

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Living by Faith

Image courtesy of artur84 at freedigitalphotos.net 

{Hebrews 11:6; NLT} 

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 

How is it possible to know if a person has faith in Jesus Christ? We know from experience that faith can’t be determined by what a person says he believes, because far too often his actions will not match his confession.

Faith starts out as belief, and it grows into action. Faith that is living is faith that is seen in the way we live. We can say that we believe something, but that doesn’t mean that belief has moved from our minds to our hearts. This movement is necessary for our belief to turn into action. Simple belief is not mature faith.

William Lane in his book Hebrews: A Call to Commitment wrote; “A Godly life is the response of committed faith to the call of God” (p. 151). If we want to know about a person’s faith then we need to examine how they live. This means we need to pay attention to the way we live if we want to understand the condition of our faith.

The choices that we make and the priorities that we have will reveal whether or not we really believe all this stuff about God and Jesus. Our faith is reflected in the way we live our lives.

See more at Paul”s Ponderings: Living Faith


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Faithful in Obedience

We Need to be Different

"Most of us would rather fit in, than stand out. Christ is expecting us to stand out so that people can see the difference." ~ Dave Stone, I'd Rather See A Sermon

One of the difficult responsibilities that we face as Christians is living in the world without being part of the world. This culture of peer pressure isn't just reserved for teenagers, even as adults we experience it.  

I feel it everytime I walk into the Apple store or a sporting goods store.  There are so many different items that I want, not only for their intended function, but to make me a little more cool.  Let's face it, We don't want to be different. We want to be the same as everyone else.  The only difference is that we want to do it with God's blessing.

It Is a Big Deal

A huge problem facing the church in the United States are people who have grown accustomed to not obeying God.  We hear the messages, we read the Bible, and we make no effort to change or to obey and then we wonder why our lives aren't any different than the rest of the world. Obedience is essential!
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Experiencing God's Truth

How can I know Truth?

One of the questions that haunts my life is: How do we come to know and understand truth? Jesus told us in John 14: 17 that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. If we are to take Jesus at His word (which I think is a good thing to do) then we are incapable of understanding truth, that is all that Jesus embodied in Life and the doctrines He taught ( This definition of truth comes from Paul Butler; The Bible Study Textbook: The Gospel of John Volume 2, p. 55) apart from the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

That doesn't mean that we don't have a part to play in discovering truth. In John 8:31-32 we read about Jesus teaching a crowd. Butler in his commentary describes the crowd as:

a group of the Jews here at the Feast of Tabernacles who had, in some way, manifested a superficial belief in Him. They wanted to believe in a Messiah, but not the Messiah. They were willing to follow, fight or die for a temporal King, but they would have none of a spiritual King who demanded sovereignty over their motives and deeds. They would gladly serve Him with their lips, but not their hearts. (p. 54)

This was not the most sympathetic of crowds. They were willing to listen as long as Jesus told them what they wanted to hear. So we see this crowd turn from belief to one with murderous intentions (see John 8:59). It is in this context that Jesus makes this statement;  "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32; NLT).

First I need to point out that a disciple of Jesus is first and foremost one who obeys His teachings. This is why in the teaching of the Final Judgment (Matthew 25) God separates the redeemed from the unredeemed based on their actions. A true disciple of Jesus will live out the teachings of Jesus.

This ponder was motivated by the simple word "and".  It seems here that Jesus is saying that through our obedience we gain a greater understanding of truth. Without obedience we cannot hope to know truth. Obey Jesus and know truth.

Aside from intentional time of reading and studying Scripture, our part of knowing truth is found in obedience.  Only through obedience do we experience God's truth as a reality in life. If we want to know truth then we have to actively obey Jesus.

Why would this be the case? I would imagine it has something to do with throwing pearls before hogs (Matthew 7:6). If we are not going to obey the teachings of Jesus that we already know then we are not going to obey a new teaching or truth that the Holy Spirit desires to reveal to us. Such a teaching would be a waste on us.

So the question we need to consider is: Am I doing my part to know truth? If we are struggling to hear from God it maybe because we are unwilling to to do what He has already told us to do.  Obey and allow truth to move from your mind to your heart.

From Evernote:

The Way of Obedience

The quest of our lives is to become the people God created us to be. This isn't an easy quest because there are many paths that we can travel on this pursuit, and yet only one path will lead us to our destination. If we are unwilling to follow this road we will miss out, not only on God, but also the life He created us to live.

Henry Blackaby in the workbook Experiencing God wrote:

God's commands are designed to guide you to life's very best. You will not obey Him, however, if you do not believe Him and trust Him. You cannot believe Him if you do not love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him (p. 63).

The road we are to travel is the road of obedience.

This quest to become the people God created us to be begins with our knowledge of who God is. We cannot love, trust, and obey God unless we first know Him. Knowledge is the foundation of faith. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote:

But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! (Romans 10:14-15; ESV)

Without a knowledge of God it is impossible to have faith. And what is faith? This is the definition that I use: Faith is the combination of trust and action which is demonstrated by our obedience. Without faith there is no true obedience.

The great biblical example of faith is Abraham. In the land of Ur Abraham heard the call of God. How well did Abraham know God at this point in his life? I know that it has been suggested that at this time Abraham may have worshiped other gods rather than being a worshiper of the One True God. Blackaby in Created to be God's Friend makes this point; "To our knowledge, Abram was not seeking God; God was seeking him" (p. 16). In other words the beginning of this journey is actually found in God's desire to have a relationship with us and not in our desire to have a relationship with Him.

The revelation of God, found primarily in the Bible, provides us with the initial knowledge that we need to trust God and obey Him. This revelation provides us with enough knowledge to make that first step of faith, and as we continue to trust and obey God with our lives we begin to develop a deeper trust in Him.

The relationship Abraham had with God at the beginning was not very strong. Abraham knew God well enough to trust God to lead him to the Promised Land, but based on the biblical account we know that there were other areas of His life that Abraham did not trust God. With time and experience Abraham learned to trust and love God like few people in history have. At the end of his life Abraham knew God a whole lot better than he did when he first left Ur to follow God into the unknown.

The apostle John talks about the relationship between obedience and a relationship with God:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:3-6; ESV)

The only way to know God and thus become the people God created us to be is to obey God. There is no other way that will happen. We can spend time talking about purpose and goals and self-improvement techniques, but if we don't turn to the Life-Maker we will miss out on life.

Since God is the Life-Maker He alone knows what brings purpose, meaning, and joy into our lives. As God's creation it is essential that we look to Him for the directions we need for life. Part of those instructions are found in the Bible. As we begin this journey to become the people God created us to be we need to rely heavily on the wisdom we discover on the pages of Scripture. As we mature and gain experience with God we will begin to rely on prayer and other Christians to provide the wisdom that we need to discern God's will for our lives. As we surrender our lives to God's will in obedience we begin to catch glimpses of the person God created us to be.

It is by traveling the road of obedience we not only discover who we are, but we also begin to discover more about who God is. Only as we obey God do we begin to experience Him at work in the world around us as He transforms our hearts. It is this experience which helps us understand God's heart and thus we are brought a little closer to Him.

Daily Thought: The Significance of Joy

The deep significance of joy in the Christian life is hardly understood. It is too often regarded as something secondary; whereas its presence is essential as the proof that God does indeed satisfy us, and that His service is our delight. In our domestic life we do not feel satisfied if all the proprieties of deportment are observed, and each does his duty to the other; true love makes us happy in each other; as love gives out its warmth of affection, gladness is the sunshine that fills the home with its brightness. Even in suffering or poverty, the members of a loving family are a joy to each other. Without this gladness, especially, there is no true obedience on the part of the children. It is not the mere fulfillment of a command, or performance of a service, that a parent looks to; it is the willing, joyful alacrity [Brisk and cheerful readiness.] with which it is done that makes it pleasing.

Murray, Andrew (2009-10-04). Holy in Christ: Thoughts on the Calling of God's Children to be Holy as He is Holy (Kindle Locations 2314-2321). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

The Way of Faith is Obedience

If life is a quest to become the people God created us to be how do we discover which way to go?  There are many roads out there on which we can travel, but only one leads us to God.  If we are unwilling to follow this road we will miss out, not only on God, but also the life He created us to live.

Henry Blackaby in the workbook Experiencing God wrote:

God’s commands are designed to guide you to life’s very best.  You will not obey Him, however, if you do not believe Him and trust Him.  You cannot believe Him if you do not love Him.  You cannot love Him unless you know Him (p. 63).  

The road we are to travel is the road of obedience.

This quest to become the people God created us to be begins with our knowledge of who God is.  We cannot love, trust, and obey God unless we first know Him.  Knowledge is the foundation of faith. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote:

But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! (Romans 10:14-15; ESV)

Without a knowledge of God it is impossible to have faith.  And what is faith?  This is the definition that I use: Faith is the combination of trust and action and is demonstrated by our obedience.  Without faith there is no true obedience.

The great biblical example of faith is Abraham.  In the land of Ur Abraham heard the call of God.  How well did Abraham know God at this point in his life?  I know that it has been suggested that at this time Abraham may have worshiped other gods rather than being a worshiper of the One True God.  Blackaby in Created to be God’s Friend makes this point; "To our knowledge, Abram was not seeking God; God was seeking him"  (p. 16).  In other words the beginning of this journey is actually found in God’s desire to have a relationship with us and not in our desire to have a relationship with Him.

The revelation of God, found primarily in the Bible, provides us with the initial knowledge that we need to trust God and obey Him. This revelation provides us with enough knowledge to make that first step of faith, and as we continue to trust and obey God with our live we begin to develop a deeper relationship with Him.

The relationship Abraham had with God at the beginning was not very strong.  Abraham knew God well enough to trust God to lead him to the Promised Land, but based on the biblical account know that there were other areas of Abraham’s life that He did not trust God.  Yet over time Abraham learned to trust and love God like few people in history have.  At the end of his life Abraham knew God a whole lot better than he did when he first left Ur to follow God into the unknown.

The apostle John talks about the relationship between obedience and a relationship with God:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:3-6; ESV)

The only way to know God and thus become the people God created us to be is to obey God.  There is no other way that will happen.  We can spend time talking about purpose and goals and self-improvement techniques, but if we don’t turn to the Life-Maker we will miss out on life.

Remember we will not begin this quest to become the people God created us to be if we do not have a minimal knowledge of God.  If we do not believe God exists we will not seek to know Him better let alone discover the life He created us to live.  This quest begins when we act on the little bit that we know about God.  Through living this journey and experiencing God along the way we begin to know God better and better.  Ultimately our knowledge of God is not increased through study and church attendance, but through living a life of obedience.

By traveling the road of obedience we not only discover who we are, but we discover God as well.   Only as we obey God do we begin to experience Him at work in the world around us.  It is this experience which helps us understand the heart of God, and thus brings us a little closer to Him.

Daily Thought: Fear Holds Us Back

Fear does not seem like the most serious vice in the world.  It never made the list of the Seven Deadly Sins.  No one ever receives church discipline for being afraid.  So why does God tell human beings to stop being afraid more often than he tells them anything else?

My hunch is that the reason God says "Fear not" so much is not that he wants us to be spared emotional discomfort.  In fact, usually he says it to get people to do something that is going to lead them into greater fear anyway.

I think God says "fear not" so often because fear is the number one reason human beings are tempted to avoid doing what God asks them to do.

John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk On Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, Zondervan (2001), p. 118

Daily Thought: Responding to God's Voice

What does it really mean to live by faith?  The response of faith is nothing more than obedience.  Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we respond.  Somehow we've come to believe that faith removes ambiguity rather than calls us to live in it.  As mentioned earlier, we have primarily related to "faith" as a noun rather than a verb.  The church tends to live by "the faith" more than it lives by faith.  The goal has to make sure beliefs are doctrinally sound and people have a growing knowledge of the Bible, rather than to live in a dynamic, fluid relationship with God through which we learn to hear the voice of God and move in response to him.

Erwin McManus, An Unstoppable Force, Group Publishing (2001), p. 150

Daily Thought: Putting It Into Practice

"And so we must apply our thinking to and with the Word of God.  We  must thoughtfully take that Word in, dwell upon it, ponder its meaning, explore its implications—especially as it relates to our own lives.  What are we to do in the light of the facts of the gospel and the revelation of God and of human destiny contained in the Bible?  We must 'pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it' (Hebrews 2:1; NRSV).  We must thoughtfully put it into practice."

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, NavPress (2002), pp. 104-05

Daily Thought: No Matter the Consequences

"The moment you know what God wants of you is the moment to do it.  He doesn't expose sin in our lives so we can take care of it later.  When God speaks, it requires immediate attention.  We might be tempted to put things off until it's easier to deal with them.  We might hesitate in an attempt to minimize the consequences.  Yet courage does what's right regardless of situation or consequence." ~ Erwin McManus, Uprising, pp. 100-01