At Cornerstone, we've been speaking lately of three key principles. The first is: Obedience is the doorway to intimacy.
What goes on between us and God is a relationship and there are certain things that are true in that relationship because of the parties involved. God is God and worthy of worship because He is God and He is capable and right in telling me to do whatever it is He would like to that is in line with His character. I am a receiver of unconditional, underserved love and grace and have been redeemed and placed in Christ and named a son of God and co-heir with Christ -- a prisoner set free indeed. My identity has been changed from an enemy of God to a friend of God, I am made completely new.
And God is still God. Never changing, unshakable, the same today that He has been since eternity past. I am His son. He is Father. What He says is motivated by Father-love I obey because I am His Son. It is my identity to obey.
Too many Christians obey God so that they may feel significance. The idea is that if I pick myself up by my bootstraps and obey God, then I feel good about myself -- and what's more -- I look good to those around me. This makes me feel important and more acceptable to God. And on the darkest but truest level, I believe I am worthy of God's love. I offer these steps of obedience to God and actually expect Him to step into a relational contract. I obey, He loves. It gets darker when the contract reads, I obey, He blesses.
The reason why this is so dark is because it robs God of the true depth of his goodness and love. On some level, my obedience is my offering to God and His return to me is love, blessing -- significance.
The point of John 15 is that an apple tree bears apples because it's an apple tree, not because it works hard. The tree's job is to be a tree, God bears fruit. I obey God because it's my identity, not because it buys me significance or standing with Him. He loves me, Billy Graham, Martin Luther, Britney Spears and Donovan McNabb with the same level of love and passion. A love and passion deep enough to sacrifice His Son. I am significant because God loves me and I am His, not because I obey well.
Next post: Obedience is the doorway to intimacy. Obedience is not intimacy.
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2 comments:
Obeying to feel significant is also very tiring. One can never do enough. I love that the apple tree bears apples simply because it is an apple tree. I love being an apple tree!
mmmm... identity. one of my favorite, and hence most understood, words.
"It is my identity to obey."
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